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OUTLINES OF CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY 

. . OR . . 

THEOLOGICAL HINTS 



. . BY . . 

J. M. CONKEB, S.-T. D., 

Theological Examiner of Payne Theological Seminary, Wil- 
berforce University, Wilberforce, Ohio; Author 
of "Iron Wheel," " Classical 
Lore," etc. 



" Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have 
eternal life, and they are they which testify of me."— 
John: v, 39. 

u Scrutamini Scripturas, quia vos videmini vobis in ipsis 
vitam aeternam habere et illae sunt quae testantur de me." — 
Joannes: v, 39. 



Little Rock. 
Brown Printing 
' 1896. 



Ark. : 
Company. 



Copvright applied for. 
All rights reserved. 



AS A FEEBLE TOKEN 

OF MY 

APPRECIATION AND ESTEEM 

FOR 

THOSE WHO STAND UP FOR GOD AND HIS CHURCH 
THIS VOLUME IS 
RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED 

TO 

A. M. E.,A. M. E. Z. AND C. M. E. CHURCHES 

Rt. Rev. H. M. Turner, D. D., LL. D., D. C. L.; 
Rt. Rev. B. W. Abnett, D. D.; 

Rt. Rev. B. T. Tanneb, A. M., D. D., LL. D.; 
Rt. Rev. B. F. Lee, D. D., Ph. D.; 
Rt. Rev. A. W. Wayman, D. D. ; 
Rt. Rev. M. B. Saltebs, D. D.; 
Rt. Rev. W. J. Gains, D. D. ; 
Rt. Rev. J. A. Handy, D. D. ; 
Rt. Rev. A. Gbant, D. D. 
Rt. Rev. J. P. Thompson, D. D., M. D.; 
Rt. Rev. J. W. Hood, D. D.; 

Rt. Rev. T. H. Lomax, D. D. : 
Rt. Rev. C. C. Petty, D. D.; 

Rt. Rev. C. R. Habbis, D. D. ; 
Rt. Rev. I. C. Clinton, D. D.; 
Rt. Rev. J. A. Beebe; 

Rt. Rev. L. H. Holsey; 

Rt. Rev. R. S. Williams; 
Rt. Rev. E. Cottbell; 
Rt. Rev. I. Lane. 



^ Dedication. 

Pkof. S. T. Mitchell, a. M Dd TT r> t> 
Wllberforee University; * D " Presid ^t of 

s^i;" MITCHELL > D - D - De » of Payne rheologiea, 

Peof. W. S. Scarborough, A. M, Ph. D., LL D ■ 
R^v. M. E. d UNHAM; a . m .. d B > ph _ D ^ ll d ' 

of^caj: * HAEPEE ' PK D " °- °- University 

ve2j: R W - HAHKNESS ' Ph - D " M - of National Uni- 
Rbv. H. T. Johnson, D. D., Ph. D., and 
Ministers and Members of the Christian Chnrch. 



PREFACE. 



In the preparation of this little volume the author's aim 
is not display, but to record in a condensed form mere 
" Outlines of Christian Theology." Therefore, I have 
consulted several leading authors, who have been regarded 
as leaders in the Theological world, and sound in faith. 
Simplicity has been my aim. 

The works of Watson, Hodge, Raymond, Wakefield, 
Embry, Ralston, Bishop Turner's Methodist Polity, the 
Hebrew Bible, Septuagint, Vulgate, New Testament, 
Greek, and the English Bible, have been carefully exam- 
ined and drawn upon. The very latest critical texts have 
been kept before me as references. We have been very 
free in quoting acknowledged authors. Many of the 
articles presented here in this book were written with no 
intention of placing them before the public, but after con- 
sideration, and being urged by those who had looked upon 
them, they have been reluctantly presented. The work 
was written several years ago, though just published. 

Rev. M. E. Durham, Ph. D., D. D., LL. D., my teacher 
in Theology, rendered me much valuable information in 
the preparation of many of these subjects. Credit is due 
President W. R. Harper, Ph. D., D. D., of the University 
of Chicago, who was my second instructor in Hebrew; 
also Dr. C. E. Crandall, of University of Chicago. 

The work goes forth with the author's best wishes, and 
if one soul, by the consideration of these pages, becomes 
inspired to examine larger works on Christian Theology, 
the author will feel greatly benefited. 

The work is not sent forth as a complete guide upon all 
of the principles of Christian Theology, but as a help. 



6 



Preface. 



The author will be very thankful to any one who may, by 
examination of these pages, find errors and report to him. 

This little volume is not sent out as perfect. 

There are works of larger size, with subjects too lofty 
to be grasped and understood by the ordinary student in 
so short a time as is generally set apart for one to master 
such weighty subjects. A mere simple outline has been 
the object needed by those whose time is limited, in 
grasping the main principles of Christian Theology. 

By this method the student is at once introduced to the 
subjects with which he must deal; and at the same time 
he gains almost at a glance just what he must know, and 
at once he plunges into the subjects as though he were 
acquainted with them before. 

It is very burdensome to one who has only a short time 
to aim at the mastery of some of the larger works of The- 
ology. 

In the attempt to grasp so much they lose much. 

Theology is a very important science, and like no other 
science, it cannot be exhausted. Years and years may be 
spent with great profit in the examination of the subjects 
discovered from time to time in the Theological world. 

The Bible and Nature are our guides in the examination 
or study of these subjects; so he who seeks otherwise 
seeks in vain. It is the duty and privilege of every one 
to examine the Bible and Nature for information as to the 
things and principles contained in them, so as to prepare 
and become thoroughly qualified for the work set before 
him. Every age should contribute its own examiners. 
This being our privilege, we should not fail in making care- 
ful examinations of the subjects before us. 

The Christian Church, known as the African Methodist 
Episcopal, has, and will do what she can in sending forth 
expounders for God and his Christ, and the uplifting of 
humanity. While Methodism is simple, yet she is polem- 
ical, " Contending for the faith once delivered to the 
saints." 



Preface. 



7 



There are only a few works known that have been 
written by the ministers of the A. M. E. Church as a guide 
to our faith and practice, and in this volume we present 
mere hints. 

Dr. J. C. Embry has presented the most complete work 
on the subject of Christian Theology, known as "Digest 
of Christian Theology." This work has met with universal 
approval, both at home and abroad. 

The author of " Outlines of Christian Theology " 
has had good opportunities to examine the principles of 
our faith as understood by the Church, and to examine 
the Scriptures for information as to matters of fact. 

It has been his aim to record nothing, as will be seen, 
save that borne out by the Scriptures. 

No attempt has been made at building a large, com- 
prehensive work on Christian Theology, but a mere outline 
for the benefit of the many young ministers and members 
of the Church who desire a knowledge of the|principles of 
the Christian's faith. 

The subjects, for many reasons, have been discussed in 
a condensed manner, beginning with the word God and 
its origin, our knowledge of God, existence of God in the 
constitution of the human mind; revelation of God in 
the Scriptures, Divine authority of the Scriptures, inspira- 
tion, and by miracles, etc. 

God, who made the world and all things therein, is 
worthy of study. That he created the world as it was, 
and as it now appears, and the many things incomprehen- 
sible to us, is beyond doubt, as in these few introductory 
remarks we shall show. Thus, after we have examined the 
display of His handiwork, it will appear proper to study 
Him. What has God done, may be asked, that makes him 
worthy of consideration? The reply is, He is the Creator of 
all things, as will be seen further on in these remarks. 

J. M. Conner. 



CONTEXTS. 



PAGE. 

Introduction 17 

CHAPTER I. 

Knowledge of God 26 

Existence of God 27 

Existence of God in the Constitution of the Human 

Mind 31 

Revelation of God in the Scriptures 33 

CHAPTER II. 

Creation 36 

CHAPTER III. 

Divine Authority of Scriptures 42 

Degrees of Inspiration 43 

By Miracles 44 

Miracles in all Ages 44 

By Prophecies ._ 47 

Relation of the New and the Old Testament Scriptures. 49 

CHAPTER IV. 

Genuineness of the Scriptures 50 

The New Testament is Genuine 51 

CHAPTER V. 

Theology— Attributes of God 62 

Unity 62 

Spirituality 63 

Eternity 64 

Omniscience 65 

Wisdom 66 

Omnipotence 67 



10 Contents: 

Omnipresence 69 

Immutability 70 

Holiness 71 

Truth . 72 

Goodness 74 

Mercy 78 

Benevolence of God 80 

Justice 81 

CHAPTER VI. 

Christology 84 

Arian Theory 85 

Orthodox Idea of Christ 85 

Union of Natures 86 

Miracles 91 

Judgment 91 

Omnipresence 95 

Wisdom 95 

Holiness 95 

Justice 95 

Goodness 96 

CHAPTER VII. 

Pneumatology 97 

Personality of the Holy Spirit 101 

Divinity of the Spirit 105 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Trinity ' Ill 

Three Persons in the Godhead 112 

Illustration of the Divine Trinity 114 

Some Opinions of Arian 114 

CHAPTER IX. 

Divine Providence 117 

Nature of Divine Providence 120 

Object of Divine Providence 121 

Special Providence 122 



Contents. 11 

CHAPTER X. 

The Kingdom of Christ 125 

The Kingdom of Christ Differs from the Kingdom of 

God 126 

CHAPTER XI. 

Religion of Christ 128 

Will All be Saved ? . . S 129 

Salvation Attainable 130 

All Men are Free to Accept the Conditions 130 

CHAPTER XII. 

Predestination 132 

Foreordinatlon 134 

Arminian View 135 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Free Will 139 

Harmony of Free Will with Foreordination 143 

Man Independent of God 144 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Fall of Man 145 

Opinions, Etc ■ - ■ ■ 147 

Imputation 148 

Adam the Representative of the Race 149 

CHAPTER XV. 

Result of the Fall of Man 150 

By Man Came Sin 151 

Depravity of Man 153 

Man's Moral Condition 154 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Soterology 157 

By Whom was the Atonement Made ? 157 

Extent of the Atonement 159 

CHAPTER XVII. 
Resurrection 161 



12 Contents. 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Eternal Life 164 

CHAPTER XIX. 

Immortality 167 

The Impotent 168 

CHAPTER XX. 

Judgment 170 

Death Fixes Man's Destiny 171 

Complete Triumph of the Righteous 172 

CHAPTER XXI. 

Heaven 173 

Where? 174 

CHAPTER XXII. 

Sabbath — Institution 176 

Change of, Etc 180 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

Hell 187 

Where Is Hell ? 187 

Intermediate State 188 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

Reward and Punishment 190 

The Gospel Method of Saving Sinners 191 

CHAPTER XXV. 

Prayer 194 

True Prayer 195 

Power in Prayer 196 

Effect of Prayer 197 

Attitude 199 

Prayer Explained . 199 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

Sacraments 201 

Different Views of 201 

Protestants' Belief 202 



Contents. 13 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

The Lord's Supper 204 

Corresponds With the Jewish Passover < 205 

Those Who Have the Right to Partake of the Lord's 

Supper 206 

Transubstantiation. 207 

Consubstantiation 207 

Ubiquity 208 

Saving Ordinance 208 

Particular Benefits Derived, Etc 209 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 

Baptism 210 

Signification 210 

Proper Mode : 211 

Infant Baptism 212 

Saving Ordinance 215 

Baptism Precedes Admission to the Lord's Supper 215 

How Jesus was Baptized 216 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

Conversion 217 

The Moral Condition of the Converted, Etc 218 

CHAPTER XXX. 

Justification 222 

Arminians' View of, Etc 223 

Calvinist View of, Etc 223 

Power that Justifies 224 

Witness of the Spirit. 226 

Adoption 226 

Regeneration 228 

CHAPTER XXXI. 

Sanctiflcation 230 

Relation of Justification to Sanctification 231 

Complete Holiness Possible in This Life 231 

Saved by Work 233 



14 



Contents. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

Apo stacy 234 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 

Christian Ethics 236 

Claims the New Testament Makes on Revelation 240 

CHAPTER XXXIV. 

Covenants 241 

Of Works 242 

Abrahamic. >. . . . 243 

New Covenant 242 

CHAPTER XXXV. 

Ceremonial Law , 245 

Moral Law 246 

CHAPTER XXXVI. 

Good Works 248 

Supererogation 249 

Mortal and Venial Sins 250 

Transferring of Works 251 

Grades in Sin 251 

Christian Morality Different from Common Morality . . 252 

CHAPTER XXXVII. 

Forms of Church Government 254 

Roman Catholic 254 

CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
Presbyterian 258 

CHAPTER XXXIX. 
Episcopal ' 262 

CHAPTER XL. 
Congregational 267 

CHAPTER XLI. 

Methodist 271 

Address to Applicants 274 



Contents. 15 

CHAPTER XLII. 

Church 276 

Heads of the Church 277 

Authority of 279 

Belief of the Church of Rome as to Authority and 

Power of the Church 280 

Erastian View of Church Government 280 

Chief Ministers in Matters of Authority 281 

CHAPTER XLIII. 

Greek Church 282 

CHAPTER XLIV. 

Creeds 286 

Creeds in Matters of Conduct 287 

Apostles' Creed 290 

Creed More Than Mere Human Opinion 290 

Limit of Creed 292 



INTRODUCTION. 



Never in the history of the Christian Chnrch did the sacred 
truths of Divine revelation have to wrestle with so many 
insidious and ensnaring enemies, as have been projected 
and embellished within the last one or two decades. Ra- 
tionalistic interpretations of Biblical doctrines have been 
supplemented with false premises, corrupt, but garnished 
philosophies, and illogical conclusions have been reached 
and palmed off on the reading world by the glare of mere 
rhetoric, when, in fact, these opposing theories are nothing 
but the fascinations of imaginary hypothecations, which, 
instead of being denounced by the scholars of the Church, 
are too often lifted to the plane of respectability — by as- 
suming to give them scholarly battle, when, in most 
instances, they Should have simply hurled against them the 
battering-rams of denunciation. Reason is the highest 
faculty which God has imparted to man, and is the most 
powerful agent in reducing the doctrines of Christianity to 
their component parts ; and analogical reasoning is an in- 
dispensable factor in simplyfying those doctrines. But no 
logical postulate, in all human experiences, has been suffi- 
cient to guide man as to his life and conduct. God has, 
therefore, placed in our hands a supernatural and sufficient 
revelation of His will to enable us to understand and prac- 
ticable the virtues and graces which should ornament us 
here, and prepare us for a felicitous eternity, because this 
revelation is addressed to our understanding, and thereby 
to our hearts and consciences. And, while it is judged and 
authenticated by our intellectual faculties, reason serves as 
an interpreter, and shows its harmony with divine law by 

Sig 2— C T 



18 



Introduction . 



the blessings obedience to that law impart. But God, 
per se, is above all reason, and Christianity, including re- 
generation, sanctincation, and all that comprehends growth 
in grace, is also above reason; and that class of scholars 
who assume that God is not beyond reason, is too often led 
into the mazes of doubt, and terminate their investigations 
in the clutches of agnosticism, which, in our day, is the 
most seductive foe with which the Church has to wrestle. 
An agnostic, after all, is simply a know-nothing in religion. 
Indeed, he is a know-nothing about all that involves 
heaven, hell, a judgment, retribution and the Triune God 
himself. And, still further, he holds that existence in any 
form, beyond and behind phenomena, is unknown and un- 
knowable—a condition which, when reached, is not only 
lamentable, but absolutely awful. 

The vast number of books which are now being written 
and published, and the multitude of book agents who are 
canvassing for their sale, with their nattering recommen- 
dations, are disseminating among the uncultured masses 
every imaginable theory in the prowess of unsanctifled in- 
genuity. Thus, we are living in a dangerous period — while 
it is a period of great enlightenment and progress. A large 
majority of the reading world accept of any theory, how- 
ever foreign to the truth, as a veritable declaration, because 
some neatly bound and, possibly, gold-gilt book so states. 
Beyond that, they seem to have no thought; and, instead 
of being able to formulate some counter-argument, to re- 
but the many wild sophistries set afloat, they succumb to 
the many illusive contents, and become the disseminators 
of the same subtle sophistries. Especially is this the case 
with any people who have not been accustomed to classic 
books, and are passing through a transitional state. No era 
in the history of the world has been so pregnant with read- 
ing matter as the present. Every railroad train is laden 
with dime novels, nickel papers, and obscene literature, 
while the daily, weekly and monthly periodicals abound 
with science, so-called; and, when sifted by a rigid investi- 



■ 



Introduction. 



19 



gation, is found to be not only vulgar and corrupting to 
good morals, in too many instances, but in many cases a 
tissue of suppositions, which are not entitled to the respect 
of decent fancy. The standard magazines are made up of 
a stolid indifference to truth and veracity, which often 
makes them the vehicles of false and dangerous thought. 
To meet this condition of things, and counteract its ruinous 
influence upon the young and inexperienced, and that class 
of readers whose intellects have not been trained to ana- 
lyze the different subjects often treated, and throw off the 
rubbish, Christian men of ability, and more particularly 
ministers of the gospel, who possess native talent and 
have had the advantage of learning, should employ every 
opportunity in writing upon all moral and religious ques- 
tions, and thus show that the Church is able to take up 
every gauntlet thrown down by the theorists and sophists 
of our time, and to meet the seductive and soul-blighting 
influences which the enemies of God are manufacturing, to 
subvert His reign in the hearts of men. 

Kev. J. M. Conner, A. M. 5 S. T. D., who has not yet 
reached the prime of life, and whose learning and present 
industry argue great achievements for the future, has ren- 
dered the Church, and his day and generation, an incalcu- 
lable service, and has placed those contemporaneous with 
him, and the next generation at least, under lasting grati- 
tude for this work — "Outlines of Christian Theology" — and 
more especially, as the times not only demand it, but the 
race of which he is an honorable representative is in need 
of it. We believe he is the third divine in our Church, out 
of our thousands of ministers, who has dared to lift his pen 
theologically in the defense of our common Christianity, 
and so systematize the great code of moral truth that our 
ministers in all parts of the world, and others of every hue 
and shade, may be better prepared to preach the gospel 
with that point and edge, and orthordox solidity, which 
will make it efficient and potential for good in this life and 
the life to come. A living ministry is the great want of the 



20 



Introduction. 



Church. A ministry that will move the people, convince 
the skeptic, and demolish the theories of the pantheist and 
the atheist, as well as show the folly of agnosticism, which 
is now the chief citadel of the unbeliever. Christian The- 
ology comprises that science which treats of the existence 
and attributes of God; the reciprocal relations between 
man and his Creator; the dispensations of His providence; 
His pleasure with regard to our actions, and His purposes 
with respect to our destination. We use the words Christian 
Theology in contra- distinction to the theologies of Homer, 
Plato, Orpheus and others, who were denominated theo- 
logians, which the Christian fathers consecrated by the 
term to comprehend bibical truths. While the word was 
first used to denote the systems of heterogeneous fables of 
the poets and philosophers who wrote of the gods of 
ancient Greece, and still more ancient Egypt, on account 
of their sublime speculations, it was afterwards employed 
by primitive writers of the Christian church to include 
those sublimer and abstract truths which are not specula- 
tive, but embrace the great scheme of redemption and all 
of its concomitants; for, after all, in the language of the 
great historian of reformation: u Jesus Christ is the pur- 
pose of God in history," and we might say with equal pro- 
priety, that Jesus Christ is the purpose of God, as made 
manifest in the teachings, elucidations and manifestations 
of the Divine purpose in all Christian theology. Remove 
Christ and the prophecies, types and shadows, symbolic 
sacrifices, the Star of Bethlehem, followed by the magii, 
the baptism of John, including the miracles, and terminat- 
ing in the death, resurrection and ascension, and all that 
pertains thereto becomes a sounding brass and tinkling 
cymbal, and theology itself becomes a delusive figment. 
But, with Christ as the heart and vitalizing arteries of the 
grand system of morals, comprehended in theological lore, 
mankind of every race variety, with all of their learning 
and metaphysical prowess, may come and learn, study, di- 
gest and practicalize, until humanity itself takes on the 



Introduction,. 



21 



qualities, characteristics and the grandeur of a God, so far 
as it is possible in the flesh and the expansive, evolving 
and progressive conditions of the spirit world, which will 
enable him to consort with angels, cherubs and seraphs 
through all eternity. 

While our time has been too much absorbed with the 
many duties and responsibilities connected with our official 
position in the church to carefully examine the portion of 
manuscript submitted to us for inspection, we feel safe in 
presuming that Dr. Conner has not wavered from the 
fundamental doctrines held by orthodox Christians in every 
age of the church. While language arrangement and sen- 
tence construction may vary, to impart more simplicity 
and enable the novitiate reader to better comprehend the 
great doctrines of Divine revelation, there can be but one 
basic truth, while there may be variety in detail. It is nat- 
ural to suppose that Dr. Conner will prominently stand 
out in the treatment of the various subjects he has dis- 
cussed, yet being satisfied that he has followed in the wake 
of the illustrious Wesley and other champions of Method- 
sm, and above them, the revealed word of God, we com- 
mend this book to the present and coming ministry of the 
Church. 

H. M. Turner. 

Atlanta, Ga., October 24, 1895. 



OUTLINES OF CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY. 



CHAPTER I. 

EXISTENCE OF GOD — ORIGIN OF THE WORD GOD. 

In the examination of tliis subject the first 
thought that comes to us is the word God, when 
used by those of whose original languages it 
formed a part. What did it mean? The an- 
swer to this question is very plain. The word 
God is Anglo-Saxon. While it meant good, 
it meant also the Supreme Being of infinite 
power and goodness. 

The words used by the Hebrews to denote the 
Supreme Being are O^li/i? Elohim, a plural 
noun, n1»"V Jehovah. This name was regarded 
by the late Hebrews too sacred to be pro- 
nounced; therefore, they substituted for it in 
reading "^"IN Acloni. Lord, Judge, * ir W Shad- 
dia, the Almighty, omnipotent; El, the strong. 
In the Greek it is Theos. Dr. Adam Clark has 
traced the word, Elohim, to the Arabic root 
Alaho, which means to worship, or adore. The 
only proper object of sacred worship and adora- 
tion is God. 



26 



The Existence of God. 



OUR KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. 

That department of science called philosophy 
gives ns a knowledge of the Divine Being. It 
teaches that there must be a cause before an 
effect; a designer before a design; hence, the 
designer and first cause of all things is Grod. 
This is one of the means by which we know that 
there is a Grod. Grod is good, and no one who is 
acquainted with Nature's laws can deny it. His 
goodness can be seen in all His handiwork. The 
strongest and plainest proof we have of Grod is 
taught in the Scriptures. In them we read, and 
are led to the Lamb of Grod, who taketh away 
the sins of the world. To what extent man 
may know his Maker is not certainly known, but 
our recognition of Him in a state of perfection, 
or holiness and love, is sufficient for us. 

Examine events that have occurred in the 
presence of men ; they will prove that we know 
Grod, and that he is a Supreme Being. When 
Moses and the children were all at the Red 
Sea, they met with a wide expanse of water, and 
the way they were to cross was not at first known 
to them, but through the divine power of the 
All-wise, which is beyond man's understanding, 
the waters, by the touch of Moses' rod, fell back 
on each side, and the children of Israel were 
thus enabled to cross over on dry ground. This, 



The Existence of God. 



27 



undoubtedly, was a great miracle : the power of 
Him that caused all things to exist, wrought, in 
the presence of the people, a great miracle which 
was contrary to the laws of nature, and no one 
could regard it as less than a supernatural trans- 
action, for it was beyond man's comprehension. 
There are many more miracles such as those of 
Moses and Aaron, which assist us to a lively 
faith in our God as a Supreme and a Wonder- 
working God. The working of miracles proves 
God's desire to become known to us — His creat- 
ures here on earth. 

Miracles rank among the many proofs that 
God has made himself known to man, both by 
revelation and reason. There is no xoositive 
proof from any source that we can rely on for 
a knowledge of God so much as we can on reve- 
lation. Most theologians claim that revelation 
is the only authentic information we have about 
God. -'All we know about God," says one, "is 
due to revelation. " It is by it man is made to 
know his Maker ; without it men would betake 
themselves to the worship of idols, gods of stone, 
wood, etc. 

The all-important truth that man has a knowl- 
edge of God has been taught by revelation — and 
by nature. In the Scriptures we are taught that 
we have a Savior; one who, when man had 
broken the divine law of the Almighty, de- 



28 



The Existence of God. 



scendecl from the peaceful home of rest to seal 
our redemption by his death on the cross. When 
Moses went upon the mount, Grod there revealed 
to him a truth that will survive when rolling ages 
cease to move and years return no more. 

u We may divide revelation into oral and writ- 
ten," says Dr. Benney. By oral is meant tradi- 
tional, or such as was transmitted by word of 
mouth from one age to another. Such were the 
revelations to the patriarchs, and the longevity 
peculiar to the age served to preserve them from 
being corrupted. These original truths were 
thus handed down to Moses by the Lord, and 
written in five books called the Pentateuch. 
The leading facts in these books are the crea- 
tion of the world, of man, of primeval happi- 
ness; his fall, and the promise of a Saviour; 
the deluge and preservation of a few; the call 
of Abraham. These are all supported by the 
combined testimony of universal history and 
modern science. As we ha\ T e stated already, the 
Scriptures are the surest foundation that we can 
stand upon and proclaim the being of Grod. 
Nature furnishes us with proof of Grod's exist- 
ence, but the Scriptural testimony is better still. 
Man has as yet many things to learn about 
nature, while those who have studied the Script- 
ures find that these cover a broad field, and 
present a fair means for knowing Grod: "More- 



The Existence of God. 



29 



over, the Lord said unto me," etc. Isa: viii, 1. 
"Moreover, the word of the Lord," etc. Jer. : 
ii, 1. "Moreover, He said unto me," etc. Eze- 
kiel: hi, 1. Again, these references show that 
God revealed himself to man. We point to the 
fact that there are many such references to be 
found in the Scriptures, showing how men have 
had a chance to know God through revelation 
rather than by any other means. That the 
Scripture and the Spirit agree upon knowledge 
of God, every Christian will admit. We are 
taught in them that the "Holy Ghost; by the 
mouth of David, spake." Acts: i, 16. "Well 
spake the Holy Ghost." Acts: xviii, 25. "Holy 
men of old spake as they were moved by the 
Holy Ghost." II Peter: i, 21; I Tim. : iv, 1. 
Again, man can feel that there is a God; when 
he works obediently, as he is taught iD the 
Scripture, he finds that a blessing follows; if 
disobedient, a curse follows. This is not only 
true of man physically, but it is true spiritually. 
Who is he that has kept the law of God without 
being in some way blessed thereby! Can a 
changed person deny knowing God, in pardon- 
ing his sins! Have we not felt that we have 
been moved by the spirit of God to do certain 
work! No one can deny it but the fool! Ang^els 
have visited men and taught them to fear the 
Lord. Mere human reason is not sufficient to 



30 



The Existence of God. 



guide man to a clear knowledge of Grod. Among 
those who profess to be guided by it some 
worship the true Grod, some His works, some 
no Grod at all. 

Though in all ages men have had the same 
book of nature and the same source from which 
to derive moral rules, the knowledge we have of 
Grod is an evidence of the fact that the Spirit 
reveals to us the truth. "Grod is a Spirit, and 
they that worship him must worship Him in the 
Spirit and in truth." Does this not show that 
there is a true means by which we may know 
Grod? And so it follows that we may know Grod 
through the Spirit. The raising of the dead 
and opening the eyes of the blind, and com- 
manding the unclean spirits to come out of man, 
is proof enough that through revelation man 
may know his Grod, even to perfection. We 
are taught that " Blessed are the pure in heart, 
for they shall see Grod.' 7 A belief in the Lord 
Jesus has brought men to light. 

The Savior said that those who saw him saw 
the Father. This is another proof on record 
that Grod has revealed himself to man, that will 
never cease in this world or the glorious time to 
come, Acts: ii, 4: "And they were filled with 
the Holy Grhost and began to speak as the Spirit 
gave them utterance." Does not this show that 
the Spirit of Grod moves upon every obedient 



The Existence of God. 



31 



heart? That the Scriptures are more authorita- 
tive than Nature is plain, as has been shown in 
previous pages. And without the Scriptures 
we should be quite unable to make any investi- 
gation of the pure and Holy Being. Those who 
undertook to proceed otherwise failed most in- 
gloriously, and finally came to teach that false- 
hood was honorable and idolatry legitimate! 
Some of these " philosophers " deliberately 
worshiped gods of stone ; they adored the forest 
trees in Greece, and prostrated themselves before 
the golden calf in Oriental lands. Some of these 
great ones worshiped their own works, and 
others, without faith or hope, worshiped nothing 
and died in despair. But enough has been said 
to convince any rational thinker that revelation 
is necessary to prove the existence of Grod. 

EXISTENCE OF GOD IN THE CONSTITUTION OF THE 
HUMAN MIND. 

We are led to believe that no one will doubt 
the existence of Grod. From the earliest record 
of time we learn that man acknowledged a Grod 
superior to himself . "Adam knew his Maker, 
and the knowledge he had of Him he imparted 
to those that followed in later years." Dr. 
Wakefield says it was as impossible for Adam not 
to have known his Creator as it was to doubt 
his own existence. Equally, demonstration was 



32 



The Existence of God. 



made to Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob 
and Moses, through a period of more than two 
thousand years. 

It is admitted that nations generally acknowl- 
edged that there was a Supreme Ruler of the 
Universe. Dr. Ralston says: "No age is too 
distant, no country too remote, no people too 
barbarous, to give testimony of this truth." 
All nations believe in a G-ocl, or a plurality of 
god?. It is evident that some being must be 
independent of all other beings. "A being that 
never depends on any other as a producing cause 
cannot depend on any other as a sustaining, or 
conserving cause. It follows that such a being 
exists necessarily." 'An uncaused being can- 
not be dependent upon its own choice," says 
Wakefield, "or upon the choice of any other 
being for its existence-, therefore, its existence 
is not owing to choice at all, but to necessity of 
its own nature. To such a being it is impossible 
ever not to have been, or ever to cease from 
being." And says Ralston: "That eternal, 
self -existent, independent, necessary, and self- 
active being, whose existence we have already 
pr'oved, must be possessed not only of power 
sufficient to govern all things, but intelligence, 
wisdom and every other perfection necessary for 
the creation, preservation, and government of 
the universe." 



The Existence of God. 



33 



"To suppose something eternal as the origin- 
ating cause of existence of all other things, yet 
to admit that the eternal being supposed is not 
self-possessed of every attribute, quality, or per- 
fection requisite for the contrivance and pro- 
duction of all originated existence, would be as far 
from giving a satisfactory account of the origin 
of things, as if we were to deny that anything 
did exist from eternity. To admit the eternal 
existence of a cause and yet to deny that it is 
an adequate cause for the production of the 
effect in question, is no better than to deny the 
existence of any cause whatever. Hence, we 
must admit that there exists an eternal, self- 
evident, independent, self -active, intelligent 
being, who by His own power arose in His maj- 
esty and created all things." 

KEVELATION OF GOD IN THE SCKIPTUKES. 

From the previous argument we think all can 
see that, beyond the shadow of a doubt, there is 
a First Cause, and that First Cause can be no 
other than Grod. All who read the Scriptures, 
and believe the doctrine as taught, acknowledge 
the Grod of the Bible to be the only just and per- 
fect being. A few references only will be made, 
in order that those who think may understand. 
The existence of G-od is a fact that cannot be 
doubted. We read on the very first page 

Sig 3 -C T 



34 



The Existence of God. 



of the Holy Bible these words (Gren.: i. 1.) : 
"In the beginning God created the heavens and 
the earth,' 7 etc. If there be no Grod, how conld 
he create the heavens and the earth? The 
Scripture does not mention the date of this 
event, but it does state that Grod did the work. 
Rom.: i, 20, says: "For the invisible things of 
Him from the creation of the world are clearly 
seen, being understood by the things that are 
made; even His eternal power and Grodhead. 77 . 

Acts: xiv, 15: "Why do ye these things? 
We also are men of like passion with you, and 
preach unto you that ye should turn from these 
vanities unto the living Glod, who made heaven 
and earth and sea and all things therein. 77 Heb. : 
iii, 4: "For every house is built by some man; 
but he that built all things is Grod. 77 Psalm 
xix, 1: "The heavens declare the glory of Grod; 
and the firmament showeth His handiwork. 77 
Isa. ; xi, 12: "Who hath measured the waters 
in the hollow of His hand and meted out heaven 
with a span and comprehended the dust of the 
earth in a measure and weighed the mountains 
in scales and the hills in a balance? 77 Zech. : xii, 1. 
There are many places in the Scriptures that 
prove the existence of Grod. They show not 
only that there is a Grod, but that He has re- 
vealed Himself to man. How can the heavens 
declare the glory of Grod and not at the same 



The Existence of God. 



35 



time show His existence! If nature, in all of its 
works, proves the existence of Grocl, so do the 
Scriptures. The Scriptures, again, reveal the 
existence of the great First Cause by miracles, 
signs and wonders. All will admit that a mira- 
cle is some act superior to the ordinary workings 
of nature, and that they did actually occur. 
There is proof enough of the existence of Grod in 
these alone. 

See miracles — John: ii, 1-11: Water changed 
into wine; the man possessed with a devil 
healed: Mark: i, 22-28. The widow's son raised 
from the dead: Luke: vii, 11-17. And numer- 
ous other references might be made. Old Tes- 
tament miracles — the Nile was turned into blood : 
Ex. : vii, 20-25. 

These miracles all go to show that the great 
First Cause exists, and that the First Cause has 
revealed himself to man in His work of miracles, 
such as man could not work. 



CHAPTER II. 

CEEATION. 

That God created the world is a fact set forth in 
Gen.: i, 1. In Hebrew, the word create, is 
u bara," which means to create something from 
nothing, and when the word bara (create) is 
used in reference to the beginning of the world, it 
means that from nothing God made the world. 

However absurd it may appear to the skeptic, 
if we acknowledge that God is omnipotent, we 
must accept it as a fact that he could have cre- 
ated the world from nothing. 

The Scripture says : ' 1 Through faith we under- 
stand that the worlds were framed by the word 
of God, so things which are seen were not made 
of things which do appear." Heb. : xi, 3. 

If the writer was inspired, as is accepted by 
all, then his informer (God), knowing his works, 
informed man, and made known to him just 
how the things we see came into existence — and 
not from material which now exists, nor anything 



Creation. 



37 



like it. Matter is not eternal. Therefore, what 
we see was made of nothing. 

u The phrase 'to create from nothing' does 
not appear in the canonical scriptures, though 
the idea is scriptural. JEx nihilo Dens et coelum, 
et terram. 

The Vulgate seems to have given rise to the 
idea. See II Mac: vii, 28. 

The Grecian philosophers could not see how 
from nothing the world could have been made. 
Therefore, they thought that ex nihilo nihil fit. 
They believed that matter Avas eternal, and that 
Grod shaped the world from pre-existing ma- 
terials. 

If matter is eternal, then it must be self -exist- 
ent, and independent; and, therefore, intelligent 
— which is not true. Matter is not independent. 
That fact is plainly demonstrated daily around 
us. It is helpless, and moves just as it is moved 
upon by intelligent force. Therefore, it must 
have had a pre-existing cause to produce the 
present effects, and that cause was God. 

If the world had existed from all eternity, why 
is it that history fails to throw any light farther 
back than the Bible date of the creation of the 
world! Set aside Moses, and our history is 
silent. Profane history has nothing to relate 
but fables until Herodotus, who lived B.C. 500. 

It is believed that Grod created all things of 



38 



Creation. 



nothing. This fact is accepted throughout the 
world by the most learned of the world. 

Archbishop Usher says that the world was 
created four thousand and four years before the 
Christian era. This fact was gained by exam- 
ining Hebrew chronology. 

It is true, that by the study of the Septuagint 
a different date is fixed upon, but the original is 
the most preferable. Therefore, we accept the 
statement of the chronologist, who takes his in- 
formation from the original Hebrew, as the 
Hebrew is more trustworthy. 

We might accept the statement of the geolo- 
gists, but they do not agree among themselves 
as to when the creation took place. So, if they, 
avIio claim to be scientists, cannot agree among 
themselves, and are in confusion as to the facts 
of the exact date, it does not seem reasonable 
that we should set aside the Bible date, one 
which furnishes a true statement, to accept what 
they themselves are not agreed upon. 

If Clod made the world, how easy was it for 
him to make all the layers at once. 

Man is too puny, his conception too warped, 
and his existence too short, to attempt to refute 
the statement of revelation. 

" Where wast thou when I laid the foundation 
of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understand- 
ing," said Grod to Job. Job: xxxviii, 4. 



Creation. 



39 



Some do not believe Moses. But, why! Not 
because they themselves know better. They 
think that He who made the world was mistaken 
in his revelation to Moses of the date of creation. 

As to the days of creation, there are some who 
claim they were not six sun-measured days of 
twenty-four hours, but indefinite, long periods, 
and that the world must be older than the 
Mosaic account. 

But, why such a conclusion! The one who 
made it was able to give it its present shape in 
one day, as much so as in a hundred thousand 
years. So, just as the Bible account of creation 
stands, we must accept it. 

God also created the heavens. (See Gen. : i, 6. ) 
' ' Let there be a firmament in the midst of the 
waters.' 7 

God created angels. That there are angels, 
and that the Scriptures so teach, is a fact, not- 
withstanding some deny the existence of angels. 

Angels are classed as holy and unholy. Those 
who are holy are those who kept their first es- 
tate ; those unholy are those who fell. 

When they were created, i. e., the exact date, 
we do not know. The words, 1 c When the morn- 
ing stars sang together and the sons of God 
shouted for joy," may refer to their creation ; 
for it appears that they were there and just 
brought into existence on such an occasion, and 



10 



Creation. 



joined the glorious procession in celebrating the 
completion of the universe. 

They are spiritual beings — "who maketh his 
angels, spirits and ministers a name of fire." 
Heb.: i. 7. Christ said on one occasion : "Spirit 
hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.'" 
Luke: xxiv. 39. They will always exist. u Nei- 
ther can they die any more, for they are equal 
unto the angels."' Luke: xx. 36. By this we 
infer that if they die no more because they are 
equal with angels, then angels shall never cease. 

They were intelligent beings. This we in+'er 
from the Scriptures. "As an angel of Ood. so 
is my Lord the King, to discern good and bad." 

" My Lord is wise, according to the wisdom of 
an angel of Grod. to know all things that are in 
the earth." II Sam.: xiv. 17-20. 

They are strong and active. " Bless the Lord, 
ye His angels, that excel in strength." Psalms: 
ciii. 20. 

Paul calls them • 1 mighty angels. ' 7 II Thess. : 
1-7. 

The destroying angels, they are called, in ref- 
erence to the night in Egypt, when the first born 
were destroyed. 

They destroyed a hundred and eighty-five 
thousand of Sennacherib's army in one night. 

They are holy beings. 

In Matt.: xxv. 31: also benevolent. 



Creation. 



41 



Their number is great. Psalms: Ixviii, 17, 
gives us to understand that they are many in 
number. St. John says: "I heard the voices 
of many angels." Rev.: y, 11. 

As well as holy angels there are unholy angels. 
"Grod spared not the angels that sinned, but cast 
them down to hell." II Pet. : ii, 4. 

" The angels which kept not their first estate, 
but left their own habitation, He hath reserved 
in everlasting chains. ' ' J udges. 

While they have fallen, yet they are spiritual 
beings, and active. They are immortal, yet 
they are active in their work of degradation. 

After having examined the work of the Cre- 
ator in general and in particular, it will not ap- 
pear out of place to examine the various ideas 
held about Him, with the doctrine of the leading 
religious denominations, touching the last things. 



CHAPTER III. 



DIVINE AUTHOEITY OF SCRIPTURES. 

" Though it has been said by Sender, DeWitt, 
Paulus and others, that there is no such thing 
as inspiration, we shall show that inpiration 
has always existed, even down to the time of the 
Apostles. As one has truly said, ' inspira- 
tion in its true sense denotes the Divine 
influence by which the mental faculties of the 
sacred writers, though acting in a natural way, 
were raised and magnified to an extraordinary de- 
gree, so that their composition was more truly 
sublime, noble and pathetic, than what they could 
have produced merely by the force of their 
natural genius.' Suggestion is said to be the 
highest degree of inspiration, and includes all 
those direct revelations which were made to the 
sacred writers of such things as they could not 
have discovered by ordinary means. 

It is said inspiration is so full and complete 
that the sacred writers were not the real authors 
of the books of the New Testament. They, as 
it were, seemed to have disappeared, and Grod 
supplied their places. 



Divine Authority of Scriptures. 43 

G-ocl seems to have inspired men; that is, He 
appeared to His people in all ages, even down to 
the Apostles, and talked to them as to Moses on 
the mountain , when the Ten Commandments 
were given. God often wrote with His own finger, 
and thus handed down to men the law which in- 
spired them. Men were moved, as we have said, 
by a supernatural power, and thus made to 
know what G-od would have them do. Who 
can read the books of Isaiah, John and others, 
and not be inspired with a higher power and 
with a knowledge of His existence. 

DEGREES OF INSPIRATION. 

Beyond a doubt there are degrees in inspira- 
tion; that is, plenary inspiration. It appears 
that among prophets and Apostles, some were 
inspired in a higher degree than others, such as 
Isaiah, John and Paul. While some were in- 
spired to write, it seems that they were not gifted 
in writing and speaking as much as those above 
referred to. Believers in inspiration have classi- 
fied it into superintendence, alleviation and sug- 
gestion. Theologians say one Scripture is given 
by superintendence, and another by alleviation, 
and another by suggestion. It was a fact that 
men wrote as they were moved by the Holy 
Grhost to write what is written . This is disclosed 
in the Scriptures. 



11 Divine Authority of Scriptures. 

BY MIRACLES. 

The question that now presents itself to us is 
not a complex one. It is, we think, one of the 
simplest that is recorded in the Bible. Christ 
was certainly the world's wonder, and worked 
many miracles here on earth. The conversion of 
water into wine at Cana of Grallilee — John : ii, 
1-11. Widow's son raised from the dead — Luke : 
vii, 11-17. Lazarus raised from the dead at 
Bethany — John, xi. There is a large number of 
miracles that were wrought by Christ that are 
not mentioned; these will prove that Jesus 
wrought miracles, and that it was contrary to 
nature for such to take place. Of course it was 
through divine power that all He did was doue, 
for He was a Divine Being, the Son of the Liv- 
ing Grod. The miracles that Jesus wrought, as 
we have said, prove Jesus to be divine, from the 
fact that none but supernatural power could do 
such work. Hence, a more than common power 
had to be displayed. That this power was 
superior is plainly seen in Matthew: xxviii, 
18; John iii, 31 andx, 18; Romans: ix, 5; Mat- 
thew: xiii, 20; John: iii, 13. The latter shows 
that Grod exists everywhere, while the former 
shows His power to do anything. 

MIRACLES IN ALL AGES. 

It is acknowledged that Grod is omnipotent, 



Divine Authority of Scriptures. 45 

and has power to do anything. If it is acknowl- 
edged that He has the power to do all things, we 
mnst admit that whenever He chooses He can, 
and does, work miracles. Miracles have been 
wrought in all ages : first in the deluge — Grenesis : 
vii. The burning bush— Exodus: iii, 2. Pas- 
sage over the Red Sea — Exodus: xiv, 21-31. 
Jonah in the whale's belly three days and de- 
livered — Jonah: ii 1-20. All <?an see that mira- 
cles have occurred in all ages. Many things 
done to-day would have been considered the 
greatest of miracles if they had been done centu- 
ries ago. All that is needed to work a miracle 
is to bring to bear on the ordinary course of 
nature a power that knows how to combine 
forces in a new way, so as to bring forth to us 
new and unknown results. For instance: You 
try to mix oil and water together, and you find 
the natural law to be that they will not mix, for 
they have no affinity for each other ; but if you 
drop alkali into the oil and water you will find 
the three substances readily uniting together 
and producing a substance unlike either. Now, 
in these three there has been nothing done con- 
trary to nature or natural laws; and so any 
number of modifications and changes can be 
brought about by adding a new force or sub- 
stance to existing forces or substances. 

Apply this to miracles. Jesus turned water 



46 Divine Authority of Scriptures. 

into wine. Well, wine is mainly water with cer- 
tain other ingredients in it which have been 
gathered out of the soil and snnshine by the 
grape. Suppose, now, that Jesns, by His Divine 
power, gathered np and thrust into the water 
these other ingredients of wine, the consequence 
would be that the whole would become wine by 
the very law of nature, and not contrary to it. 
Jesus raised Lazarus. Suppose that Jesus, by 
His Divine power, commanded the departed 
spirit to enter again into the body it had left, 
Lazarus would have lived again by the uniting 
of his spirit and body, and lived according to 
the very law of nature, and not contrary to it. 
And so of all miracles. They are not contrary 
to the laws of nature, but in accordance with 
the very provisions of nature by which, when 
you bring a superior force to bear upon another 
force, you change the result. Modifications and 
changes can be made in results by combining 
forces, but no law of nature can be interrupted 
or stopped. Nature's laws are God's laws. He 
made them; they are perfect; they are un- 
changeable; they are eternal. God Himself 
never overrides, interrupts or annuls one of His 
laws. What seems to us to be overriding, inter- 
rupting, or annulling, is really but the introduc- 
tion of another force, to us unseen, which changes 
the result, and that change we call a miracle. 



Divine Authority of Scriptures. 



47 



There is a law for miracles as sure as there is for 
chemical changes, and this law of miracles is in 
perfect accord and harmony with nature's laws. 
The forces which work miracles are beyond our 
comprehension. We are not up to the level of 
their standard. If we understood those laws, 
and could wield the forces they employ, we could 
work miracles at will, and in working them do 
no violence to nature's laws. 

BY PROPHECIES. 

Prophecies and their fulfilment throw much 
light on the subject now under consideration. 

These predictions were made and came to pass 
just as it was said they should — concerning 
Christ's coming, and their fulfilment, death, etc. 

ChrisVs Coming — "And I will put enmity be- 
tween thee and the woman, and between thy 
seed and her seed. It shall bruise thy head and 
thou shalt bruise his heel." Gen. : iii, 15. 

Fulfilment — "And they came with haste, and 
found Mary and Joseph, and the babe, lying in 
a manger." Luke: xi, 15. 

Prophecy — "The Lord, thy Grod, will raise up 
unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of 
thy brethren, like unto me. Unto him ye shall 
hearken." Deut.: xviii, 15. 

Fulfilment — "We have found him of whom 



48 Divine Authority of Scriptures. 



Moses in the law and prophets did write — Jesus 
of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. " John: i, 45. 

Prophecy — To be born of a virgin: "There- 
fore, the Lord himself shall give yon a sign. 
Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, 
and shall call his name Immanuel. ? ' Isa. : vii, 14. 

Fulfilment — To a virgin espoused to a man 
whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, 
and the virgin's name was Mary: "And, behold, 
thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth 
a son, and shalt call his name Jesus." Luke: i, 
27, 34. 

Place of Birth — "But thou Bethlehem Ephrath, 
though thou be little among the thousands of 
Judah, yet out of thee shall come forth unto me 
he that is to be a ruler in Israel," etc. Micah. : 
v, 2. 

Fulfilment — "And Joseph also went up from 
Grallilee, out of the City of David, which is called 
Bethlehem," etc. "And she brought forth her 
first born son," etc. Luke: xi, 4, 7. 

Prophecy of His Death — "He is despised and 
rejected of men — a man of sorrows, and ac- 
quainted with grief," etc, Isa. : liii, 3. 

Fulfilment — "He that dippeth his hand with 
me in the dish, the same shall betray me." 
Matt., xxvi, 23. 

He was to send the Holy Ghost — " Be glad then, 
ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord, 



Divine Authority of Scriptures. 49 

your Grod; for He hath given you the former 
rain moderately, and He will cause to come down 
for you the rain, the former rain and the latter 
rain, in the first month." Joel: ii, 23. 

Fulfilment — "And when the day of Pentecost 
was fully come, they were all with one accord in 
one place; and suddenly there came a sound 
from heaven of the rushing of mighty wind, and 
it filled all the house where they were sitting,' 7 
etc. Acts: ii, 1. 

KELATIONS OF THE NEW AND THE OLD TESTAMENT 
SCKIPTUEES. 

From these citations we can only judge of the 
close relations of the New and Old Testaments. 
These are entirely undeniable. Both are from 
God, and both advocate His will. Both are di- 
vine, and both are authoritative. The New Tes- 
tament is more authoritative than the Old, for 
here we have the last words of Grod to man, and 
His last acts; also, the fulfilment of the old 
prophecies, which latter cannot be denied by any 
sane being. In the New Testament we see 
Christ's Humanity, and know He was a man 
with flesh and blood ; but in the Old we have 
Christ in the spirit. We feel authorized to re- 
peat these words for the edification of those who 
obey His commands : " I am with you until the 
world shall end. 77 

Sig 4— C T 



CHAPTER IT 



GENUINENESS OF THE SCEIPTUEES. 

In attempting to prove the genuineness of the 
Scriptures, we shall make a very brief statement. 
The Old Testament demands our consideration, 
as it comes first of the two sacred volumes. It 
is not necessary to go into a careful or particular 
examination of every book. Josephus, a Jew- 
ish historian, gives a catalogue of the books of 
the Jews. He lived in the days of the Apostles, 
and, being also a Jewish scholar, it cannot be 
supposed that he was mistaken. He mentions 
the five books of Moses ; thirteen of the proph- 
ets, etc. This number agrees with those re- 
ceived at the present time. 

Dr. Wakefield, says: "This three-fold divis- 
ion of the Jewish Scriptures into the Law, the 
Prophets and the Psalms, as mentioned by Jo- 
sephus, was recognized before his times by Jesus 
Christ. 7 ' This is proof conclusive that the books 
of the Old Testament are genuine. The books 
of the Old Testament were translated into 
Greek, for the use of the Jews of Alexandria, 
about 287 years before the Christian Era. Ref- 



Genuineness of the Scriptures. 51 

erences are made to the books of the Old Testa- 
ment by the New Testament writers quite fre- 
quently. There are now two copies of the 
Law of Moses, and one of the Jews and 
the Samaritans. They are the same, or the 
harmony between them convinces us of the fact 
that they are from the same record, originally. 
Speaking of how to arrive at a definite basis of 
the genuineness of the Old Testament, Ralston 
says: u Would I not first inquire whether these 
works had been ever attributed to any other 
authors; and, if so, to whom, and by whom, 
and under what circumstances ! Or, by what 
evidences sustained? If there can be no real 
proof to the contrary, or if you cannot prove 
that other authors produced the works, then I 
must hold that the names which are assigned 
to them, all else being equal, are the original 
authors." 

Many of us have never seen Homer, Xeno- 
phon, Csesar or other authors, and yet we admit 
they are the real authors of the books bearing 
their names. The books, as received by us and 
by all theologians, are accepted as the books 
of the Old Testament authors. 

THE NEW TESTAMENT IS GENUINE. 

It cannot be doubted that the books of the 
New Testament are genuine, and we shall give 



52 Genuineness of the Scriptures. 

good evidence to prove that they are true. The 
surest way to arrive at a correct conclusion that 
any past record is true, is first to inquire of 
those who lived in that age (by reference to the 
history of that age); for instance, suppose we 
wanted to prove that a certain great officer ruled 
in the United States in a certain age, the best 
way to prove it would be to read the history of 
the country, and make inquiries of those who 
are descended from the men of his time, and 
compare the records of the country referring to 
this same person. Thus, we could arrive at an 
unerring conclusion of the truth of the matter. 
The above being the lines on which we shall 
prove our argument, we now proceed. 

" We find quotations made by early Christian 
authors in the first century, such as Clement, 
Ignatius, Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Ireneus, 
Theophilus of Antioch, and many others. Here 
we have the testimony of a series of Christian 
writers who were contemporary with the apos- 
tles, or who indirectly followed them, proceeding 
in close and regular succession to the present 
time. The proof is most unquestionable, and 
cannot be disregarded. Bishop Burnet, in his 
history of his own time, inserts various extracts 
from Lord Clarendon's history; such is certain 
proof that Lord Clarendon's history was extant 
when Bishop Burnet wrote; that it had been 



Genuineness of the Scriptures. 53 

read and received by him as a work of Lord 
Clarendon, and that he regarded it as an au- 
thentic account of the transactions to which it 
refers." This will be proof of these facts thou- 
sands of years hence. 

"In the early catalogues of the Christian 
Scriptures, different persons drew up catalogues 
of the books of the New Testament. From 
these catalogues we learn that the books which 
are now acknowledged existed then, and were 
regarded as genuine. Origin, in the year 210, 
omitted the epistles of James and Jude, but in- 
dorsed them in his later writings. The catalogue 
of Cyril of Jerusalem, drawn up in 340; that of 
the Council of Laodicea, in 364, and that of 
Gregory Nazuanzen, in 375, omit the Bei^ela- 
tion, but contain all the other books. Philos- 
trus, Bishop of Brescia, in 380, leaves out 
Eevelation and the Epistle to the Hebrews ; but 
Jerome in 332, Euffinus in 390, and Augustine 
in 382, have all the books of the New Testa- 
ment, as they are acknowledged. 7 ' Hence, we 
conclude that nothing more is needed to prove 
that the books are genuine — that they were writ- 
ten by those whose names they bear — and that 
they were published at different times, as shown 
above. 

"The Jews never contradicted the history of 
the gospels; hence, by their silence, we have all 



54 Genuineness of the Scriptures. 

reason to believe they are true. Several learned 
men, such as Celsus, Porphyry, and Hirocles, 
wrote against Christianity in the second and 
third centuries; in those writings they admit 
that they were acquainted with the writers of 
the New Testament. They show, moreover, 
that they believed the Scriptures were written by 
Christ's own disciples; had it been otherwise, 
it is probable that they would have made some 
contradiction. Frequently did they quote pas- 
sages from the Apostles' writings while they 
were aiming to defeat Christianity. It has been 
well said that among the evidences in support of 
the genuineness and truth of the Scriptures none 
are of more value than the testimonies of the 
learned philosophers who wrote against Christi- 
anity in its first age and generation. 

' 1 They express no doubt concerning the au- 
thenticity of the Scriptures, nor do they ever in- 
timate that Christians are mistaken in regard to 
the authors — whom they describe. They con- 
firm the prevailing sentiment of the Church re- 
specting those books of the New Testament 
which are called canonical, for the writings show 
that those very books, and not any others, are 
the books which Christians then acknowledged 
as the rule of their faith, as they now are of ours. ' ' 

' c We learn from history the books are gen- 
uine. We have just as much right to believe 



Genuineness of the Scriptures. 55 

what has been seen in history concerning the 
true acts of the Apostles and disciples, as we 
have to believe there was a Washington, Caesar, 
Polylins, or others whom many of us have never 
seen. 

• i We find that the very same doctrine that was 
taught and believed in the first century is believed 
and taught by Christians now, and the informa- 
tion gained in regard to them from the New 
Testament is true. As the Christians began to 
multiply, and the churches were planted in the 
Roman Empire and various parts of the world, 
the Scriptures followed. The four gospels were 
in all the churches of the Roman Empire as a 
part of their public worship, just as the writing 
of Moses was read in the Jewish Synagogues. 

u So, as the churches increased, translations 
were made into different languages, and thus it 
was impossible for the record to be contrary to 
itself. Neither could the Scriptures be changed 
by the enemies of the Christians in the lifetime 
of the authors, nor could any material alteration 
take place after their death, while the original 
manuscripts were safe in the churches; when 
the Christians, who were instructed by the Apos- 
tles or their successors, traveled in the various 
parts of the world, they kept with them copies 
of the Apostles 7 writing from which other copies 
were made. Now, we have one unbroken chain 



56 



Genuineness of the Scriptures. 



of testimonies of the uneorrupted preservation 
of the New Testament which can be traced back 
from the fourth century of the Christian Era to 
the very time of the Apostles and even down to 
this day. That division between the Eastern 
and the Western churches — existing even now — 
is said to have broken out in the fourth century. 
Had it been possible to alter the Scriptures, one 
or the other of these churches would have de- 
tected the alteration. Both the Eastern and 
Western copies agree; hence no alteration took 
place." 

When the Church was stirred up from bottom 
to top on points of doctrine, the New Testament 
was appealed to from time to time by every sect, 
as being conclusive in all matters of controversy. 
Under such conditions, no sect could make any 
change in the Scriptures. And when, in modern 
times, any alterations have been attempted or 
perpetrated, they have been detected and exposed. 
It would not be consistent with reason to suppose 
that one church or people would allow a change 
in the sacred Scriptures and not make such 
known. 

Again, in the argument of the manuscripts 
we shall prove the Scriptures uneorrupted. At 
one time there were upward of three hundred and 
fifty copies collected by Griesback for his cele- 
brated critical edition. They were not all entire, 



Genuineness of the Scriptures. 57 

but most of them contained the four gospels, 
while some had the Acts of the Apostles, the 
Epistles, etc. They were all written at different 
times, and all agree in all essential points, as can 
be seen in the addition by Mr. Mill, Bengel, 
Westeen and Griesback. When history is care- 
fully studied by any one for proof of the truth- 
fulness of the Scriptures, the student will not 
doubt their genuineness or authenticity. 

The Scriptures, being written by virtuous, 
honest, upright men, could not be otherwise than 
true. Their writers sought nothing but knowl- 
edge of the things above, and suffered at the 
hands of their enemies — did nothing in return to 
harm them or make their lives unhappy. When 
chance would allow, they went from one place to 
another, preaching the gospel. While that age 
was one of excitement, severe punishment and 
suffering, they were as bold as lions in the de- 
claration of the blessed Scriptures. In prison, 
they were merry — they were patient in tribula- 
tions, joyful under reproach, and cheered them- 
selves in the dark hours of midnight by singing 
praises to Grod. They met death with joy. They 
were steadfast, and held on to the Bock of Ages. 
And they were good men and had the ability to 
write. The evangelist Matthew occupied a lu- 
crative situation when called by Jesus, and was 
evidently an opulent man. All the fishermen of 



58 



Genuineness of the Scriptures. 



Grallilee were, at least, in good circumstances. 
They bad never had any worldly inducements 
held out to them. 

St. Paul, with his education and talent and en- 
couraging prospects in life, abandoned every 
temporal expectation and adopted a course that, 
to this world, seemed wretched and hopeless to 
the last degree. St. Paul once made a statement 
of how they were regarded for their work, as fol- 
lows : ' ' Even unto this present hour we both 
hunger and thirst, and are naked, and are buffed 
and hauled: no certain dwelling-place. We are 
made as the filth of the world, and are the off- 
scourings of all things unto this day. I Cor. : 
iv, 11, 13. 

It cannot be supposed that these men were 
deceivers in their writings. They frequently 
mentioned the names and referred to the most 
prominent persons of their countries. They were 
perfectly honest in' their statements. It is certain 
that men with the ability of the Apostles would 
not surfer as they did for nothing. They were 
earnest about what they were doing. To show 
that they were men of power with Grod, and were 
in possession of divine knowledge, and supernat- 
ural power, we refer to a few of the miracles per- 
formed, and in view of the multitude ; and men 
with no extra knowledge of the Deity could work 
such, as is acknowledged by friends and foes: 



Genuineness ■ of the Scriptures. 59 

Christ predicted his death: John: xi, 19-21; 
Matt.: xx, 18-19. Died: Mark: xv, 37,44-45; 
John: xix, 33. Christ was buried: John: xix ? 
41-42. Christ Our Lord was missing from the 
tomb: Matt.: xxviii, 6; xiii, 27, 62-66. There 
are only three ways in which Christ could be 
removed. That the tomb was sealed is certain ; 
so He must do as He predicted — rise again ; or, 
by His enemies or by His friends be taken away 
Matt. : xxvii, 63. If by His enemies, they could 
have contradicted the statement of his resurrec- 
tion by producing the body. This they did not 
do. If by His friends, that would not prove 
Him, as was predicted, a Savior who would rise; 
neither would it do them any good, but would 
be proof against them. It was reported that 
His friends stole the body away. But when the 
statements were examined they were proved 
false, for the place was guarded, and the disci- 
ples had not courage to steal Him from the 
watchmen; when the time came for examina- 
tion, Peter denied Him ; not one attended Him 
in the judgment hall, nor when He was cruci- 
fied; the only persons that stood near were His 
mother and the two other women, with John: 
John: xix, 25-26. So there is no ground to 
suppose that they stole him away. Nor can we 
believe that the sixty guards in the open air all 
fell asleep at once. 



60 Genuineness of the Scriptures. 

If asleep, they could not tell who stole Him 
away; all they could say was that the tomb was 
vacated. It was certain death for a Roman 
soldier to sleep on guard, as we are told; so, 
had 'they been asleep they would not have vol- 
untarily confessed it; and if their report had 
been believed, the ruler would have punished 
them. This he did not do: Matt.: xxviii, 
12-15. Christ stated: "In three days I will 
rise again. ' ' Christ appeared several times after 
burial; He rose: John: x, 17-18. After his 
death he appeared to Paul and John on Patmos 
(I. Cor.: xv, 5-9; Acts: xix, 5; Rev.: i, 9-18), 
at different times of the day, and once to about 
five hundred persons. 

From these facts we conclude that the men 
who wrote the Scriptures were honest, and had 
the knowledge to write. That they had such 
knowledge will be seen when we examine the 
following: " The Holy Grhost, by the mouth of 
Daniel, spake." Acts: i, 16; Acts: xxviii, 25; 
II. Peter: i, 21. See the miracles which were 
publicly wrought, and it was acknowledged by 
the world that they were real. I. Peter: i, 16-18. 
Again, " While Peter spake, the Holy Grhost 
fell on them." 

The statements of the apostles were backed 
up by facts. All along, Clement, Bishop of 
Rome, a contemporary with the apostles, tells 



Genuineness of the Scriptures. 61 

us that they preached the gospel, being filled 
with the Holy Grhost. Other eminent scholars 
make the same statement as that of those whose 
names we have given, in regard to the apostles 
being filled with the Holy Grhost. Just as it 
was predicted by the prophets, it was fulfilled 
by Christ and His apostles and the disciples. 



CHAPTER V. 



THEOLOGY- — ATTEIBUTES OF GOD. 

We have shown in the work of nature the char- 
acter of the all- wise, almighty, omnipresent, 
living and Supreme Being. We shall now turn 
to view His exalted character, as revealed in 
Scripture. In theology we learn that there are 
twelve or more attributes, consisting of: Unity, 
spirituality, eternity, omniscience, wisdom, om- 
nipotence, omnipresence, immutability, holiness, 
truth, goodness and mercy. 

Some theologians give even more attributes 
than we have mentioned ; but from these alone 
we can prove that the First Great Cause is power- 
ful and all-wise, or fills immensity, or is every- 
where eternal, and that He is of the highest and 
noblest character. 

UNITY. 

Unity stands first among His natural attri- 
butes ; it shows that there is but one Grod. Phil- 
osophy says that two gods, or numbers of gods, 
with the same ruling power could not exist in 
the same space at the same time, because if they 



The Attributes of God. 



63 



were different their rules would be different in 
giving orders. Hence, almost in a moment of 
time this world, with others, would be smashed. 
They would run in conflict one with another. 
If they were all alike in all things they would 
be one; hence, we have one sun, one principle 
of gravitation, etc. The universe itself is a 
system, each part depending on other parts or 
being connected with other parts by some law 
of nature, or by the presence of substances. Mr. 
Paley says the heat of the sun differs not from 
that of the fire. The blood of one animal, as 
proven by experience, will answer for that of 
another. Can there be but one God? The One 
who made one horse made all. He who rules 
the heavens rules the earth ; as there must be 
cause before effect, the great cause is God. But 
here let us see what the Scripture says about 
unity, or that there is but one God. God is 
One: Dent.: iv, 35-6, 42; Sam.: vii, 22; 
II Kings: xix, 15; John: xvii, 3; I Cor.: viii, 
4-6; James: ii, 19; I Tim. : i, 17. 
God is a Spirit. 

SPIRITUALITY. 

That God is a Spirit, no one will doubt after 
a thorough investigation of Scriptural facts ; if 
the Scriptures did not prove that God is a Spirit, 
we should judge that He must be, from the fact 



64 The Attributes of God. 

that, as Paley states: " Spirituality expresses 
an idea made up of negative and positive parts ; 
the negative part consists in the exclusion of 
some of the known properties of matter, espe- 
cially of solidity, inertia, divisibility and gravita- 
tion. The positive part comprises perceptive 
thought, will power and action, or the origina- 
tion of motion ; the quality, perhaps, in which 
resides the essential superiority of the spirit over 
matter — which cannot move unless it he moved, 
and cannot but move when impelled." 

Feeling that no one will doubt Dr. Paley 's 
statement, as it seems as plain as can be, we 
shall proceed to the Scriptures, and prove that 
G-ocl is a Spirit, which shows that the positive 
part of Dr. Paley's "statement is right: II Cor. : 
iii, 17: "Now the Lord is a Spirit," and 
"where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is power. " 
Our Savior says, Grocl is a Spirit. There being 
a positive part in the spirit, it seems that the 
spirit is that part that must precede matter, from 
the fact that it is the highest and has control of 
matter. Without it matter would be nothing; 
the spirit is the first cause of the present and 
past. Hence, the Scripture and nature agree as 
to the spirituality of Grod. 

ETERNITY. 

By eternity of Grod is meant that Grod had no 



The Attributes of God. 



65 



beginning, and that He will have no end. All 
things were made by Him, and without Him 
there was nothing made. The eternity of God 
is proved by His creation. If it be admitted 
that God created all things, it must be admitted 
that He existed before all things began to exist, 
in order to create them. It is necessary for Him 
to exist from all eternity. 

There was no cause, or force to operate upon 
Him, to bring Him into existence. He must 
have necessarily existed from all eternity. The 
Scriptures agree as to the eternity of God ; Dent. : 
xxxiii, 27, says: u The eternal God is thy ref- 
uge Psa. : c, 5, ; 'His mercy is everlasting;' 7 
Rev. : i, 4, u Which was and which is to come ; 77 
Rev. : i, 8, "I am alpha and omega, the begin- 
ning and the ending." 

OMNISCIENCE. 

That the Creator must know all things, their 
constitution and properties, is plainly seen to be 
essential to the first great cause ; a being who 
governs a system of flying worlds, could not 
control them in different places, without a 
knowledge of them. Things would occur in 
space that he would never have any knowl- 
edge of, were he not all- wise — having made them 
and known their construction. The wisdom of 
God as testified in the work of creation surpasses 

Sig 5- c T 



66 



The Attributes of God. 



all ideas we hare of wisdom drawn from the 
highest intellectual operation of the highest class 
of intelligent being. 

The Scriptures, as well as nature, prove the 
knowledge of Grod. Job : xxxiv, 21-22 ; xxxvii : 
16; II Cor.: xvii, 19; I John: iii, 2. Here, as in 
previous chapters, agreeing with nature, and 
showing G-od's wisdom or knowledge is bound- 
less. If this was not a fact He could not know, 
at the same time in different places, how to rule, 
uphold and control the sun. moons, oceans, fish, 
man, lightning, ants, etc., and the past, future 
or present acts or events that have taken place. 
No one could possibly doubt the wisdom of Grod 
being far beyond all His handiwork, from the 
fact He that makes or creates must know more 
than the created. 

WISDOM. 

Wisdom is an attribute of Grod, and differs 
from knowledge. Knowledge is simply the ap- 
prehension of things as they are, while wisdom 
arranges ideas into proper order. One may have 
wisdom and not knowledge in the strict appre- 
hension of the term, but one cannot have 
knowledge without having wisdom. Wisdom is 
the foundation ; knowledge means to know of 
things. Wisdom arranges knowledge. The 
strict observer of the Scriptures is compelled to 



The Attributes of God. 



67 



see that almost everywhere in Holy Writ this 
attribute exists. See Job: xii, 13, " With Him 
is wisdom and strength;" Job: xxxvi, 5, u He 
is mighty in strength and wisdom ; ? 1 u The only 
wise Grocl," Tim.: i, 17. Again, that G-od pos- 
sesses the attribute of wisdom is exhibited in 
His works. The beautiful creation and adapta- 
tion of things convinces one of this fact. 

OMNIPOTENCE. 



This attribute means the power of Grod and 
more; it means ail power. The works of Grod 
demonstrate this fact. Who can, to a reason- 
able extent, examine the works of nature (a 
system of flying worlds, suns, moons and stars), 
and suppose that they could have of themselves 
existed? The doctrine of self-creation, or a 
thing making itself, is absurd to start with; 
cause and effect, explained elsewhere, contradict 
such assertion. u Behold, He taketh away; who 
can hinder him?' 7 Job: ix, 12. Who can hin- 
der Him Avho framed and from nothing made 
all things! Who will say unto Him, what 
doest Thou! He is called the " Almighty." 
Kev. : 8. " He alone spreadeth out the heavens 
and treadeth upon the waves of the sea. He 
maketh Arcturus, Orion and Pleiades, and the 
chambers of the south. He doeth great things 



68 



The Attributes of God. 



past finding out; yea, wonders without num- 
ber.' 7 Job: ix, 8. 

u He stretches out the north over the empty 
places, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. 
He bindeth up the waters in the thick clouds, 
and the cloud is not rent under them. He hath 
compassed the waters with bounds, until the 
day and night come to an end. 77 Job: xxvi, 7- 
10. Grod controls all things with perfect ease. 
He says to the ocean, hitherto shalt thou come, 
but no farther; and here shall thy proud waves 
be stayed." 

1 ' Who hath measured the waters in the hol- 
low of His hand, and meted out the heaven with 
a span." Isaiah: xl, 12. u He measured the 
) earth ; the everlasting mountains were scat- 
tered." Hab.: iii, 6. All nations before Him 
are. as nothing. He spared not the angels that 
sinned. He maketh His angels spirits. The 
Scriptures, with what has been said, prove the 
omnipotence of Grocl. 

The strict conclusion is that power which 
could create such a world as this, must be be- 
yond all comparison. This great First Cause is 
exalted in the highest, from the fact that He is 
the maker of all things. Being the maker of all 
things, it follows that He is the keeper, up- 
holder, with His power. That He is infinite is 
plain, from the fact that in all places, He is at 



The Attributes of God. 



69 



all times. He changes the seasons and time at 
His will. Again , His existence from all eternity 
is necessary to put things in existence. Just 
how long this Cause was alone without the pres- 
ence of matter, we are unable to say. This, as 
well as others, comes under the head of His 
natural attributes. In conclusion, all we can 
say is, His power is boundless and everlasting. 

OMNIPRESENCE. 

This attribute exhibits everywhere the pres- 
ence of Grod; or in other words, there is no place 
in the universe, in space above, or beneath, 
where G-od does not exist — where the fullest 
demonstration of His power has not been made. 
The absolute necessity of the existence of being 
may be seen in the examination of the following 
statement: He is eternal, all-wise, almighty, all- 
good, etc. Now, how can we deny the omnipo- 
tence? Since Grod's presence is everywhere He 
needs to know all things everywhere ; to uphold 
all things and control all things. 

There is an absolute necessity for the existence 
of God everywhere, to preserve the harmony of 
creation. The Scriptures further assert the 
omnipresence of Grod. "Behold, the heaven and 
the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee," 1 
Kings: viii, 27. "The heaven of heavens are not 
sufficient to contain the Lord, who goes beyond 



70 



The Attributes of God. 



them. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit, or 
whither shall I flee from thy presence! If I 
ascend up to heaven, thou art there; if I make 
my bed in hell, behold thou art there ; if I take 
the wings of the morn and dwell in the utter- 
most parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand 
lead me." Psa. : xxxix, 1-10. 

Grod is not far from every one of us ; in Grod 
we live and move and have our being. These 
passages prove that Grod is everywhere. The 
existence of the same law and power everywhere 
suggests the presence of Grod everywhere. Re- 
cognizing the existence of the Deity, we ask, in 
what kingdom in nature, in what corner of space 
is there anything that can be examined by us 
without falling upon contrivance and design! 
The laws of nature are universal. Were Grod 
not everywhere, how could He hold matter in 
space, in every direction, all the time, and in 
different places! "He who upholds all things 
by His power, may be said to be everywhere." 

IMMUTABILITY. 

The immutability of Grod means unchangeable- 
ness of Grod; that Grod always was and always 
will be. The Scriptures reveal this fact. "I am 
the Lord; I change not," Mat.: hi, 6. "Father 
of Lights, in whom there is no variableness, 
neither shadow of turning," James: i, 17. "But 



The Attributes of God. 



71 



thou art the same, and thy years shall have no 
end." Ps. cii, 27. "But thou art the same, and 
thy years shall not fail," Heb.: i, 12. The im- 
mutability or unchangeableness of Grod is taught 
in the Scriptures. Grod is the same to-day and 
ever will be. 

In order to keep and guide this and other 
worlds, it is necessary for Grocl to be unchange- 
able. It shows the perfectness of His character. 
There is no increase in His perfection ; as a just 
being, He always was, and always will be. The 
uniformity of the laws that control all shows 
this fact. The same laws that control this world 
to-day existed yesterday and thousands of years 
gone by. And there is seen no new law. All 
stands. The law of moral government exhibits 
this fact. The same laws that were given to 
our fathers are given to us; what they were 
commanded to do, we are commanded to do. 
The violation of these laws calls forth a 
strong rebuke from Grod upon us, as it did upon 
Adam, David and others. Dr. Wakefield says: 
u We must not interpret the immutability of Grod 
so as to admit of no change in His operation." 

HOLINESS. 

Perfect moral purity means the holiness of 
Grod. It is that principle that despises evil and 
loves righteousness; it means the absence of 



72 



The Attributes of God. 



immoral principles. The Scriptures teach, that 
God is holy: Lev. : xix, 2: " Be ye holy, for 
I am holy. ' * Isaiah : vi. 3 : "And one cried unto 
the other and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord 
of Hosts. " Here the Lord is called 1 1 holy, holy, 
holy." Man. in the beginning, was made like 
his God, morally: he was perfect in spirit and 
in mind, for G-od breathed into him the breath 
of life. This life was nothing less than a part 
of Gfod, the holy being. Rev.: iv, 8: "Saying 
holy, holy, holy — legontes, agios, agios, agios." 

The holiness of G-od may be argued from His 
strict justice : it is manifested in the exercise of 
God's works: His abhorrence of sin and love 
for obedience suggest this fact. As soon as man 
violated the Divine law he was thrust from Him 
(in the garden), and when angels violated the 
law of God they fell, or they were expelled: 
"For God spared not the angels of heaven when 
they lost their first estate. ' 7 After man, through 
his own ignorance, lost the Divine image, God 
restored man by His suffering : for us He gave 
Himself, that we might live and have everlasting 
life. Thus, when holiness was lost, the Lord 
restored it in this world again. And so, we con- 
clude that the Lord is holy indeed. 

TRUTH. 

This attribute of God exhibits the perfect rec- 
titude of God. It expels all doubt as to His 



The Attributes of God. 



73 



veracity, perfectness, etc. u We virtually say, 77 
says Wakefield, 4 'that all His communications 
to us are in exact accordance with the real nature 
of things. 77 The Scriptures set forth the fact of 
the truth of Grod. U A11 his works are done in 
truth. 77 Psa. : xxxiii, 4. 4 4 My covenant will I 
not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out 
of my lips. 77 Psa.: Ixxxix, 34. 

The truth of God is here exhibited ; what do 
these expressions mean? What can they mean 
but the fact of the truth of God! Num. : xxiii, 
19 says: 44 God is not a man, that he should lie. 77 
There is no cause for it ; He cannot do it ; His 
perfection excludes it. Can we think that such 
a being, possessing such lofty character as is 
illustrated in previous pages, would lie to Him- 
self 1 What possible cause can there be for such 
action! If there is any truth attached to the 
Scriptures, then God is truth, for the Scriptures 
plainly exhibit that fact. The declarations of 
God are in strict conformity with His work. 

That the wicked shall be cut off, punished and 
shall not stand, are truths that need no argu- 
ment. We have an example of God's truth in 
the prophecy as to the fall of Jerusalem and 
other cities and nations of antiquity. 4 1 Unto us 
a Son is born; 77 reference here is made to Christ. 
Seven hundred years passed after this predic- 
tion, and then it came to pass. Expressions 



74 



The Attributes of God. 



relating to the Church, and many things, have 
■come true : and the promises of blessings to men 
have been fulfilled, also the threats. 

We find in man a disposition to love the truth. 
This disposition could only exist by and from a 
pre-existing cause. Things can only move as they 
are moved by that which is spiritual and ma- 
terial. Material operates as it is acted upon, by 
an invisible force. So with a disposition to love 
the truth, this disposition comes as it is acted 
upon from (rod. There is danger, great danger, 
in non-truth. Thousands suffer to-day from the 
effect of lies. Were they encouraged, they 
would shipwreck man, the world, and even affect 
G-od. and do away with His perfectness, love, 
peace, goodness and all that is grand. 

GOODXESS. 

In this Divine attribute we shall see, and 
strive to show, the harmony that exists between 
nature and Scripture, as to the existence of God 
and His goodness. In nature we have already 
shown that there is a God, from the fact that 
there must be a designer before there can be a 
design, an effect following a cause. The first 
cause of this world with others could be no 
being but the all-wise, infinite, goodness — God. 
Therefore, in proving that God is good, it is 
necessary that He existed, as stated by the 



The Attributes of God. 



75 



Scripture. This brings nature and the Saript- 
ure in harmony. See Acts: xvii, 24; Bom. : i, 
20; Gen.: i, 1. These references, with cause 
and effect as shown elsewhere, cannot but help 
to show the existence of God. As to His good- 
ness, only a few references shall be made to na- 
ture and the Scriptures, leaAung the subject 
to others for consideration. That God is good, 
is plainly taught in the following : God being 
the First Cause, it follows that in making all 
things, everything was good. All that we see 
around us exists in harmony. The clouds give 
us water; the earth, food; the birds, music — 
enough to make us conclude that the character 
of the Creator is good. When we see the frisky 
lambs leaping; singing birds; shouting men; 
when the many good things of life begin to 
pour upon us, from time to time, all these show 
benevolence, peace and harmony. 

It makes us exclaim, in the language of the 
Scripture, \ L Give thanks unto the Lord, for He 
is good ; for His mercy endureth forever. ' ' As 
to the character of God in the Scriptures, and 
the certainty that He is good, we have only to 
refer to Exod. : xxxiv, 5, 6, 7; Psalms: xxxiii, 
5; Psalms: cxviii, 1; Rev.: xv, 4; Psalms: 
xxxiv, 8; I Chron. : xvii, 26; xvi, 34. give 
thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His 
mercy endureth forever. The many references 



76 The Attributes of God. 

in Sjcripture and in nature will convince any 
rational mind that the Lord God is good. Evi- 
dence that God is good must be acknowledged, 
for He is the First Cause and Maker of all 
things. As there are things that are good, we 
are led to infer that they could not possess this 
quality outside of the assist ence of the First 
Cause, which is good. All that is good comes 
from Grod, and is of God. Millions of good 
things were made for exhibition long before the 
morning stars sang together, and the sous of 
God shouted for joy. In the formation of this 
world of ours, cannot we discover the goodnes- 
in Deity, when He made the sun. with its spark- 
hug rays, to light upon the mountains, valleys 
and plains? And does not the light of the sun 
help to bring forth vegetables, which we part 
live upon, directly or indirectly.' The reply 
from every healthy, well-balanced mind, is that 
this shows that even before man began to exist, 
the Deity made a display of His goodness. 

The towering hills, the running brooks, and 
the music that is thrown forth upon the winds 
of heaven by the feathered tribes of birds in 
warbling those sweet and loving tunes which fill 
men with delight, make us decide that in the 
beginning the First Canse was good, and is now. 
and will be forever: for a good many things 
were brought int< :> existence when the Deity first 



The Attributes of God. 



77 



began to work. It is an act of God's goodness 
to send the seasons and the rains to water the 
fields and the stock. In these acts we are com- 
pelled to acknowledge the goodness of God; 
He feeds the cattle on a thousand hills, and the 
sheep of the valley that give us wool. And this 
is the good ness of God to men. 

The fish of the seas are fed with different 
kinds of food that is prepared by the hand of 
God; if they were made without legs, wings, 
eyes and mouths, so that they would have to 
suffer for food and die, then we would claim 
that God, at the beginning, ought to have made 
some provision for the support of them, His 
handiwork; and inasmuch as He made them 
and arranged no food for them to eat, God 
would be unjust ; but to the contrary we must 
decide. Upon the goodness of God, Wakefield 
remarks that "when He confers happiness with- 
out merit, it is called grace; when in commiser- 
ation of the distressed, it is called pity ; when it 
supplies the indigent, it is bounty; and when it 
pardons the guilty it is mercy. ' ' If these sayings 
are true, then thousands, yea, millions are com- 
pelled to acknowledge the goodness of God. We 
have done nothing for God, and yet we are 
enjoying His blessings. Is it not God's water 
that we drink! God's pure air we inhale? God's 
sun gives the light which we call day. God's 



78 



The Attributes of God. 



moon shines out at night. When it is hot, and 
we are about to faint by the wayside, GTod makes 
it tolerable, and gives humanity strength and 
sense to leave the place where we cannot exist 
and flee to another. All of this is the goodness 
of God ; but here when we turn to behold that 
Grod is good, we find ourselves in natures 's field 
with no boundary lines; in a world of goodness. 
Hence we conclude that in all nature's works, 
the Lord is seen to be good. 

How often do we violate the moral laws of the 
Deity? and how often, as offenders, are we par- 
doned? Suppose, every time a being violated 
the laws of God, in nature and otherwise, he 
were cut off, how many would be living to-day? 
Is this not the goodness of Grod that stays the 
hand of death, and props the houses of clay, and 
makes judgment yet an unknown thing to us? 

MERCY. 

We shall here review the evidences in nature 
that Grod is merciful to all creatures. This 
is plain, in view of the fact that we too 
frequently violate the laws. "When Grod's 
goodness pardons the guilty," says Wake- 
field, "it is mercy"; therefore, if this is true, 
the Lord is merciful, and there are evidences in 
nature to prove it. A large number of us are 
guilty of breaking the laws of nature; conse- 



The Attributes of God. 



79 



quently, we would all be cut off at once were it 
not for the mercifulness of Grod. A railway 
train is designed to run a certain number of 
miles per hour. If the speed be unduly accele- 
rated, this is contrary to the design, according 
to which the machinery was constructed. Now, 
seeing that the whole crew, or a part of them, 
are guilty of making it go faster than it was de- 
signed to go by the constructor, it follows that 
it must, with no exception to the rule, run at 
once to destruction. Why does not this occur 
every time? Because the Lord is merciful. That 
He pardons is equally true, for all works against 
the object are at times removed to return no 
more; thus, when a man wounds a limb, he is 
guilty of violating nature's laws; and when the 
limb is restored, it is the mercy of the Lord that 
has made it whole. It appears that no restor- 
ation could take place, unless a penalty had been 
suffered and a pardon granted. G-od forgives. 
If He did not forgive, the work would continue 
against the person who violated the laws of na- 
ture. If the Lord did not forgive, He would 
not be merciful towards His subjects, because 
forgiveness follows mercy. That the Lord is 
merciful, is plain: Psalms: exxxvi, 1, 26: u O 
give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for 
His mercy endureth forever." Psalms: cxviii, 
1,4. 



80 



The Attributes of God. 



BENEVOLENCE OF GOD. 

The evidence of the benevolence of Grod will 
be shown in the following : It cannot be denied 
that Grod is benevolent, by those who admit His 
goodness . It is because of benevolence in Grod that 
He provides for all His creatures. Take what 
He has made, and in their habits and customs of 
living, a great difference exists. What some 
live on, is destroying to others. For instance, 
take ourselves, and we cannot live upon the 
same food that beasts can ; yet our difference in 
food to live upon is provided for by Grod. Suppose 
that we were made without feet, eyes, etc., and 
expected to see and work for our living, and had 
to eat what all other beings eat, would this not 
show that our Maker is unjust, and has no part 
of benevolence in Him! Indeed, it would. 
What is essential to our happy and comfortable 
existence, the First Cause has provided. 

He provides, and we eat, drink, wear and re- 
joice in the many good things of life. When 
the air is heavy with a poisonous composition, 
He makes the winds to carry it away. Every- 
thing that exists makes plain the benevolence of 
Grod. The frisking of the lamb shows that he 
is glad of his existence. The bee is happy when 
food is placed in its reach, as he hides in the 
flowers of the sweet spring morning. There is 



The Attributes of God. 



81 



no end to Grod's benevolence. The supply is in- 
exhaustible. It reaches every needy case; ex- 
tends to the highest astronomical heights, and 
to the lowest geological depths. There is a 
steady stream of His goodness continually pour- 
ing out in our presence. Such is the benevo- 
lence of Grod. 

JUSTICE. 

That 0-od is just all must acknowledge, for 
He is the first cause, and being the first cause, 
justice could not exist in his handiwork unless 
it proceeded from the first cause. It can be 
seen in men ; some naturally are inclined to act 
justly by their fellow-men. Hence, we infer 
that Grod is just ; first, because He is good, and 
His handiwork could not have that quality un- 
less it proceeded from the first cause, as it is the 
Spirit in men that prompts the act of justice. 
Grod having made all things, should control 
them ; to do this He must have a rule, even in 
the work of nature in its various kingdoms, to 
govern them intelligently, by enforcing these 
laws ; He waters the plants and cattle and feath- 
ered kind, and furnishes the necessary supplies 
to all His creatures. Men, the most intelligent, 
have discovered a law for the government of 
nature; and obedience to nature's laws makes 
us happy, while "the way of the transgressor is 

Si* 6-C T 



82 



The Attributes of God. 



made hard." Thus, justice must come from the 
Creator, for nothing could exist without Him, 
and now if there is any justice found among 
Grod's creatures, it came from Him. If Grod is 
just, it follows that He must reward the obedient 
and allow the wicked to be punished. If He 
did not reward the obedient, it appears that the 
Lord would not be just ; and on the other hand, 
if He did not punish the law-breaker, He would 
not be just. What nation or race of people 
could live lovingly without laws! And how 
much worse would it be to have laws and not 
enforce them! It would be better to have no 
law than to have one and not execute it. This 
cannot be done without Grod ; He must govern 
His handiwork and control by the enforcement 
of the law — by rewards and punishments. 

That Grod is just no one can justly deny. It 
is proven in the display of His work in the moral 
world. Justice, like truth, is only one form in 
which the holiness of Grod is manifested. The 
Divine justice may be viewed as either legislative- 
or judicial. ' 6 Legislative justice, 7 ' says Ealston, 
' ' prescribes what is right and prohibits what is 
wrong." Judicial justice relates to the applica- 
tion of law to human conduct. It may be re- 
munerative, conferring a proper reward upon 
the obedient ; or vindicative, inflicting due pun- 
ishment on the disobedient. It must be remem- 



The Attributes of God. 



83 



bered that the reward which Grod confers on the 
righteous is not of debt, but of gr&ce. We are 
to be rewarded, not for our work, but according 
to our work. 



CHAPTER VI. 



CHRISTOLOGY. 

No subject stands out to-day before the world 
that is more worthy of consideration than the 
one now before us. 

The divinity of Christ, from the first dawn of 
the Christian Era, has occupied considerable 
space in the theological world ; so much so that 
those of years gone by have handed their 
different views down to the present. Indeed, 
there were held at a very early date, contrary 
views as to the divinity of Christ. Some 
claimed that He was divine by being Grod, in the 
true sense of the word; others claimed that He 
was mere man. This was the opinion of Soci- 
nius. His views may be plainly set forth in the 
following remarks: 

ik The Socinian idea of the person of Christ, 
is that Christ is the First and most exalted of 
creatures — having been produced in a peculiar 
manner, and endowed with great perfection; 
that through Christ the Lord made the whole 
world ; that Christ alone proceeded immediately 



Christology . 



85 



from Grocl, while other things were produced im- 
mediately by Him, and that all things were put 
under Christ's administration." 

THE ABIAN THEOKY. 

"As we have just stated, the Arian theory or 
idea is nearly the same as the Socinian idea. 
The semi-Arians differed from the Arians, but 
still differ from the orthodox in refusing to ad- 
mit that the Son was of the same substance 
with the Father; but they acknowledged Him 
to be of like substance with the Father. It was 
only in appearance, however, that they came 
nearer to the truth than the Arians themselves, 
for they contended that this likeness to the 
Father in essence was not by nature, but by a 
peculiar privilege in their system; therefore, 
Christ was but a creature." 

OBTHODOX IDEA OF CHRIST. 

The orthodox idea concerning the person of 
Christ is that Christ was both Grod and man ; 
two whole and perfect natures united and formed 
one Divine person. That He was Grod, is de- 
clared in the sacred Scriptures: "In the begin- 
ning was the Word and the Word was Grod, and 
the same was in the beginning, etc., and the 
Word was made flesh and dwelt among men," 
etc. Here it can be seen that He was Grod, from 



86 



Cliristology . 



the fact that He was in the beginning; hence, if 
the same was in the beginning, He must be GrocL 
He says, "1 and my father are one. 7 ' It is a 
fact that He is Grod, if He and the Father are 
one. 

He that knoweth me or hath seen me hath 
seen the Father. The Old Testament as well as 
the New, is pregnant with references touching 
the proof that Christ is Grod. That he was man, 
is a fact that no sane man can possibly get 
around; to do this justly, we would have to do 
away with the doctrine of the Bible touching his 
Divinity. He was man, from the fact that he 
hungered, walked, talked, slept and suffered; 
that he was the same that the prophets referred 
to in their prophecies is plain, when we under- 
stand Isaiah to say, "He is the wonderful coun- 
cellor," etc. John said: u Behold the Lamb of 
God." 

UNION OF NATURES. 

That two natures were united in one, is shown 
in the council of Chalcedon, in the fifth century; 
"in one person two natures have united;" this 
agrees with the Athenian creed, and the Church 
of England, for her second article reads as fol- 
lows: ' k The Son, which is the Word of the 
Father, begotten from everlasting of the Father, 
the very and eternal Grod, of one substance with 
the Father, took man's nature in the womb of 



Chris tology. 



87 



the blessed Virgin, of her substance, so that two 
whole and perfect natures, Grodhood and Man- 
hood, were joined together in one person never 
to be divided, whereof is one Christ, very Gk>d, 
and very Man," whatever may be thought to 
the contrary, has not been, and we believe, can- 
not be proved. Admitting the above to be true, 
we can see how He purchased us with his own 
blood, but if it is denied, we cannot see how He 
could have purchased us with His own blood. 
Again the union is indicated in the following 
Scripture: "Who, being the brightness of His 
glory, and the express image of His person, and 
upholding all things by the word of His power, 
when He had by himself purged our sins, sat 
down on the right hand of the Majesty on 
high." Heb.: i, 3. 

"To this passage," says Wakefield, "the hypo- 
statical union is the only key." "That these 
two natures were united in one, is plain, when 
we understand that they did not remain here 
together, but continued together, arose and 
ascended. The apostles often referred to the 
Master as one Lord, while referring to these two 
perfect natures. If the Divine nature in Him 
had been imperfect, it would have lost its essen- 
tial properties, for it is essential to Deity to be 
perfect," 

The attributes, titles, works and honors as- 



88 



Chris tology . 



cribed to Christ set forth the fact that he is 
God. 

The word Jehovah, when and wherever used, 
means an exalted character. This word is often 
used in reference to Christ : c ' The voice of him 
that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the 
way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a 
highway for our God." Isaiah :xl, 3. The word 
"Lord" in Hebrew is " Jehovah.' 7 All this 
means or refers to Christ. 

We read Matthew, hi, 3 : "For this is He that 
was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, 
The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Pre- 
pare ye the way of the Lord, make his path 
straight." 

Christ is said to have been tempted by some 
who were in the wilderness: "Neither let us 
tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted and 
were destroyed of serpents." I Cor.: x, 9. 

The highest titles ever used by the Jews are 
used by the writers of the New Testament in 
reference to Christ. 

This proves him God. 

He is referred to as the Lord of Glory: 
i 1 Which none of the princes of this world 
knew, for had they known it they would not 
have crucified the Lord of Glory." I Cor. : ii, 8. 

Christ is here called the Lord of Glory: there- 
fore he is God. 



Chris tology. 



89 



Creation is ascribed to Christ. In John: i, 
1-4: " In the beginning was the Word, and the 
Word was with God, and the Word was God. 
The same was in the beginning with God. All 
things were made by Him ; and without Him 
was not anything made that was made. In him 
was life; and the life was the light of men. 
And the light shineth in darkness ; and the dark- 
ness comprehended it not." 

Coll.: i, 15-17 we read thns: " Who is the 
image of the invisible God, the first-born of 
every creature? For by him were all things 
created, that are in heaven, and that are in 
earth, visible and invisible, whether they be 
thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or pow- 
ers: all things were created by Him, and for 
Him." 

Creation is here ascribed to Christ, which 
shows that Christ made all things; therefore, 
Christ is God, as He must exist before all things, 
so as to create or make all things. 

Aside from having created all things, as the 
previous passages show, Christ keeps all things, 
or in other words, He preserves all things. 

Coll.: i, 17 says: "By Him all things con- 
sist." We need not say that this is the work 
of God, and yet it is the work of Christ; this 
being a fact, Christ must be God, and therefore 
Divine. 



90 



Chris to logy. 



Paul, in his letter to the Hebrews (i, 13), 
says: 

"Who being the brightness of His glory, and 
the express image of His person, and upholding 
all things by the word of His power, when He 
had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the 
right hand of the Majesty on high; being made 
so much better thau the angels, as He hath by 
inheritance obtained a more excellent name than 
they. For unto which of the angels said He at 
any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I 
begotten thee! And again, I will be to him a 
Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And 
again, when He bringeth in the first begotten 
into the world, He saith, And let all the angels 
of Grod worship Him. And of the angels He 
saith. Who maketh His angels spirits and His 
ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son He 
saith, Thy throne, Grod, is forever and ever; 
a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy 
kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness and 
hated iniquity: therefore Grod, even thy Grod, 
hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above 
thy fellows. And, Thou, Lord, in the begin- 
ning, hast laid the foundation of the earth; and 
the heavens are the works of thine hands. They 
shall perish, -but thou remainest : and they all 
shall wax old as doth a garment ; and as a 
vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall 



Christology. 



91 



be changed; but thou art the same, and thy 
years shall not fail." 

Christ does not uphold and preserve all things 
only, but he also pardons or forgives. 

This principle in the nature of Christ comes 
before us with much earnestness, and he who 
reads the Scriptures and fails to appreciate this 
fact, fails in his attempt to understand the true 
meaning of the Scriptures. 

Examine these lines : ' i But that ye may 
know that the Son of Man hath power on earth 
to forgive sins : then saith He to the sick of the 
palsy, Arise, take up thy bed and go unto thine 
house." Matt. : ix, 6. 

The question may be asked : Did he rise up 
and walk? ".And he arose and departed to his 
house." Matt. : ix, 7. 

MIRACLES. 

It is true that miracles have been performed 
by others, but not without the power of Grod. 

Christ wrought miracles by His own power. 
He raised the dead; opened the eyes of the 
blind. He spoke and the winds obeyed Him, 
and the waves of the sea became calmed. 

JUDGMENT. 

It is said that Christ shall judge the world, 
and as no one should attempt such but Clod, 



92 



Christology . 



then Jesus must be God. See Romans : xiv, 10- 
11: " For we shall all stand before the judg- 
ment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, 
saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and 
every tongue shall confess to Grod." Phil.: ii, 
9-11: ''Wherefore Grod also hath highly ex- 
alted Him, and given Him a name which is 
above every name; that at the name of Jesus 
every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and 
things in earth, and things under the earth ; and 
that every tongue should confess that Jesus 
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." 
II Tim.: iv, 1: "I charge thee therefore before 
God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge 
the quick and the dead at His appearing and His 
kingdom." John: v, 22: "For the Father 
judgeth no man, but hath committed all judg- 
ment unto the Son." Matt.: xxv, 31, etc.: 
' ' When the son of man shall come in his glory 
and all the angels with him." 

There is another very important feature bear- 
ing upon this subject, and that is divine worship. 

It has been said, and generally understood as 
a fact, that God is the only object of divine 
worship. This being a fact, if Christ is to be 
worshiped as no one else is to be, then Christ 
must be God. 

The fact of Christ being the only object of 
divine worship, may be seen in these passages. 



Christology. 



93 



Eeacl Luke: xxiv, 51-52: "And it came to pass 
while he blessed them, He was parted from 
them, and carried up into heaven. And they 
worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem 
with great joy." Acts: i, 24: "And they 
prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest 
the hearts of all men; shew whether of these 
two thou hast chosen." Acts: vii, 59-60: 
And they stoned Stephen, " calling upon God, 1 ' 
and saying, u Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And 
he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, 
Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when 
he had said this, he fell asleep." II Cor.: xii, 
8-9: " For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, 
that it might depart from me. And He said 
unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for My 
strength is made perfect in weakness. Most 
gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in 
mine infirmities, that the power of Christ may 
rest upon me." II Thess. : ii, 16-17: "Now, 
our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and G-od, even 
our Father, which hath loA r ed us, and hath given 
us everlasting consolation and good hope through 
grace, comfort your hearts, and establish you in 
every good word and work. 1 ' 7 I Cor. : i, 2 : " Unto 
the Church of G-od, which is at Corinth, to 
them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called 
to be saints, with all that in every place call upon 
the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs 



94 



Christology .. 



and ours." Heb. : i, 6: "And again, when He 
bringeth in the first-begotten into the world, He 
saith, And let all the angels of God worship Him." 
Rev. : v, 11-13 : "And I beheld, and I heard the 
voice of many angels round about the throne, 
and the beasts, and the elders; and the number 
of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, 
and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud 
voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to re- 
ceive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, 
and honor, and glory, and blessing. And every 
creature which is in heaven, and on earth, and 
under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and 
all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, 
and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him 
that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, 
forever and ever." 

Again, the same attributes ascribed to God 
are ascribed to Jesus Christ. Eternity is one of 
the attributes ascribed to Grod, and the same is 
ascribed to Christ. 

"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and 
the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which 
was, and which is to come, the Almighty." 
Rev. : i, 8. This shows that Christ had no 
beginning, therefore he can have no end, and 
must be the eternal Grod, since no one can be 
eternal but Grod. 

All power has been given into his hands ; says 



Christ ology . 



95 



Christ, "All power is given unto me," etc. All 
things are known unto him from the beginning. 

OMNIPRESENCE. 

This attribute is ascribed to God, also ascribed 
to Christ. "And lo, I am with you always, even 
unto the end of the world." Matt.: xxviii, 20. 
The original reads, "unto the end of alway, 
eternally. 7 7 

Indeed, the fact is plain that Christ is present 
everywhere, if he remains with his followers 
always. Eternity has no end, therefore Christ 
can have no end and must be Grod. 

WISDOM. 

Wisdom is an attribute that is ascribed to 
Grod; and the same attribute is ascribed to 
Christ, "In whom are hid all the treasures of 
wisdom and knowledge." Coll. : ii, 3. 

HOLINESS. 

This is one of the characteristic points of 
Christ. He is holy, as will be seen: "I know 
thee who thou art, the Holy One of G-od." 
Mark: i, 24. 

JUSTICE. 

Justice is an attribute of G-od, also of Christ. 
"And the Grod of our fathers hath chosen thee, 
that thou shoulclst know His will, and see that 
Just One." Acts: xxii. 14. 



96 



Christology. 



TEUTH. 

Another attribute of Christ is Truth. "And 
Jesus said unto them I am the way, and the 
truth, and the life. 7 ' St. John: xiv, 6. 

GOODNESS. 

Goodness is ascribed to Christ, see Acts: x, 
38. How Grod anointed Jesus of Nazareth with 
the Holy Grhost and with power, who went 
about doing good, and healing all that were op- 
pressed of the devil; for Grod was with him. 
And we are witnesses of all things which he did, 
both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; 
whom they slew and hanged on a tree : Him 
Grod raised up the third day, and shewed him 
openly." 



CHAPTER VII. 



PNEUHATOLOGY. 

As the sun stands out in the heavens amid fly- 
ing worlds, so does the Holy Spirit stand out to 
those who examine the works of Grod. 

"Worthy, indeed, is He of our consideration, 
when we remember that He is not only sent 
from Grod, but is of the Father, and the same in 
substance. 

If men see cause to write, view and review 
the effects of the First Cause of all things as 
they appear — surely, if they are attractive, and 
around them cluster food for deep consideration 
— then it is clearly seen that a careful examina- 
tion of the First Cause is not and cannot be out 
of place. 

It is just as much necessary to study Him, 
if we would form correct ideas of His creative 
power, as it is to study the writings of Moses 
to get an exact conception of the true historical 
value of the history of the Jews. 

He who omits Moses, in the writing up of 

Sig 7- C T 



98 



Pneumatology . 



Jewish history, omits the leading spirit of their 
deliverance. 

The writer may write many books, and he 
may stir the world from center to circumference, 
yet all is defective, imperfect on all sides and in 
every direction, and will remain so, until the 
faithfulness of the Great Leader is placed on 
record, and handed downward to generations 
yet unborn. 

In the study of Divine revelation, we must 
commence with Moses and his five books — for, 
indeed, he stands in the very gateway of our 
entrance. A complete knowledge of our own 
existence, and the existence of the worlds around 
us, would be far from complete were we to over- 
look Moses. So with the Creator of the universe. 
To understand many things needful, and of 
lasting importance about creation, we must first 
consider the Creator. Here, in the very begin- 
ning, meets us at the door of our investigation 
the fact of the Spirit figuring in the creation of 
the world. The statement, "He garnished the 
heavens," is proof positive that He was there on 
such a glorious occasion — when the world was 
made. 

Should we for a moment doubt this fact, there 
is another exhibition that looms up before us, 
that impresses us with the truth of it: "And 
the Spirit of Grod moved upon the face of the 



Pnewmatology . 



99 



deep — rather, expanse," thunders out Moses in 
his first book, in which he records the story of 
the creation of the world. 

In the Hebrew, the word Spirit is "ftn 
in the Greek, "septuagint" nvsufia, and in the 
Vulgate "spiritus," each referring to or meaning 
the same person. 

The thought of the existence of such a being 
is not of modern origin : neither was it manu- 
factured by the Greeks or Romans, nor by the 
Christians. Before Origin wrote, long before 
Paul preached his able sermon and Peter de- 
clared Jesus to be the Son of the Living God. 
the Jews hurled the golden truth abroad. Be- 
fore Sinai trembled, or the lightning flashed 
from the pregnant clouds, this fact stood out in 
the world among the nations of the earth. The 
wave of every wind, the streak of every flash of 
lightning, and the smoking of every volcano 
exhibits this truth. Indeed, the subject is a 
worthy one, and one to whom the world, or all 
humankind is indebted. 

But to consider Him, we should do so with 
prayer. An investigation of this glorious per- 
sonage has caused much debate, in and out of 
the true Christian circle. In more than one age 
of the world has He been the comment of the 
world, pro and con. As to his substance. Arius 
believed the spirit to be a creature, and that he 



100 



Pn< umatology . 



was created by Christ. He eventually turned 
away from this doctrine, and taught that he 
was the external energy of Grod, thereby denying 
his personality. Socinius adopted the same 
notion. 

The orthodox believe that He proceeds from 
the Father and the Son. The doctrine of this 
fact is plainly demonstrated in the sacredjScript- 
ures: " When the Comforter is come, whom I 
will send unto you from the Father, even the 
spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the 
Father. He shall testify of me." John: xv, 26. 

In the Scriptures the fact is set forth that the 
spirit does not only exist, but that he proceeds 
from the Father: DTPS of the Jews. Theos 
of the Greeks, and Deus of the Romans. 

We read in the gospel, Matthew: x, 20: 
"For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of 
your Father, which speaketh in you." In this 
passage he is styled the Spirit of the Father. 

In the original we have the following: nvsufjia 
too Tzazpoe. 

Paul, in his letter to the Romans (vii. 9), 
says: "Xow if any man have not the Spirit 
of Christ, he is none of His." The same rela- 
tion is seen to exist here, as before, in the gos- 
pels, which sends forth a stern rebuke to those 
who would oppose such a glorious faith. 

His procession from the Father and from the 



Pneumatology . 



101 



Son is plain in the sacred Scriptures. It mat- 
ters not into what direction we turn, and what 
may be the circumstances under which we labor, 
the fact remains the same. As the thunder and 
lightning leap from the trembling clouds, caus- 
ing men to quake and grasp the truth of their 
own existence, so does this "truth stand out in 
the sacred pages to the view of every earnest 
admirer. 

PEESOXALITY OF THE HOLY SPIEIT. 

HaAung in the preceding brief remarks es- 
tablished the fact of his procession from the 
Father, we shall now speak of the personality of 
the Holy Spirit. On this line much has been 
said. As to his personality, some have doubted 
this fact, preached and written against it, yet 
the truth remains the same. 

The first question that meets us, is whether he 
is a person or whether he is a mere external 
energy of Glod. The latter of the two preced- 
ing statements has been met and throttled out 
of existence, therefore the only proper subject 
now, for consideration is his personality. His 
personality may be seen, as it is taught by Christ, 
in this quotation, "He shall give you another 
Comforter, that he may abide with you forever. ' ' 

The words "another comforter who shall 
abide with you forever," are plain. This does 



102 



Pneumatology . 



not only show that the Spirit is a person, but 
that he shall remain forever, and that he is sent 
of the Father. 

The third person here is taught, or rather 
spoken of. See the letters in the Greek just be- 
hind the word Jcdd^ c, the ending of the third 
person is found "he." Therefore the doctrine 
of the third person, i. e., of the personality of 
the Holy Spirit, is argued simply by a careful 
study of the word. The pronoun "he" sets 
forth this fact. 

In John: xvi, 7-8, we read, "If I go not away 
the comforter will not come unto you, but if I 
depart I will send "him unto you, and when he- 
is come he will reprove the world of sin, and of 
righteousness and of judgment." The personal 
pronoun "he," in Greek, proves again his per- 
sonality. The words, "he shall speak," and 
"what he shall hear," bears out the statement 
that he is a person and the third person men- 
tioned in the Holy Scriptures. 

The word paraclete means an advocator, an 
intercessor of intelligence. 

It is further proved by his actions ; his actions 
have some bearing upon this subject; they also 
prove the existence of an intelligent person. 
The words, "to teach," "to hear," "to re- 
prove," "to guide," "to speak," "to show," 
"to glorify," "to receive," "to take," show the 



Pneumatology. 



103 



Holy Spirit to be a person of intelligence. "He 
shall teach yon." How can mere energy or 
operation teachl Those who would be teachers 
must first possess intelligence ; mere energy can- 
not teach ; therefore as the Holy Spirit is styled 
a teacher, then he is a person. 

The word he shall teach, implies that he is the 
possessor of intelligence. 

He is not styled as a teacher only, but He is 
called a witness. In Acts: v, 32, we read: 
"And we are His witnesses of these things, and 
so is also the Holy Spirit, ' 7 etc. The idea of men- 
tioning mere energy as a witness, by an intelli- 
gent person, is absurd. And who will say for a 
moment that the writer of the Acts was not 
intelligent? Deny it if you can. 

An imperative command is given by the Holy 
Grhost in the Acts: xiii, 2: "The Holy Grhost 
said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul, for the 
work whereunto I have called them." The 
words, " The Holy Grhost said," show him up 
as a person, and an intelligent person, for in- 
deed, it cannot be said that mere energy can 
speak intelligently; therefore, He must be a 
person of authority, since He issues forth a 
command. 

Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians : ii, 
13, makes this one fact stand out in these words: 



101 



Pneumatolqgy . 



u But what the Holy Grhost teaches/' In an- 
other place, he states that the Spirit intercedes 
for us : " Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our 
imfirmities, for we know not what we should 
pray for as we ought ; but the Spirit itself mak- 
eth intercession for us, with groanings which 
cannot be uttered." 

How can we conclude otherwise, than that the 
Spirit is a person, when He intercedes for us? 
Turn in whatever direction you may, read the 
impress of God's finger on the mountains, in 
the clouds, or amid the stars, and with equal 
clearness, does the fact stand out, and the truth 
is seen, that the Spirit is a person. 

Standing amid the placid waters of the Jor- 
dan, surrounded by a mighty throng from Jeru- 
salem and all Judea, just when Christ was bap- 
tized by the Messenger of Grod, a voice from the 
skies (the great white throne, jasper walls, 
harps and garlands), cried, u This is my be- 
loved Son," etc. What was it? It was the 
Spirit for whom the heavens opened, accompa- 
nied by angels, bent on a gospel mission, who 
spoke: " This is my beloved Son in whom I am 
well pleased." For thus says the Scriptures: 
" The Spirit, like a dove, was seen descend- 
ing," etc. Matt.: iii, 16-17. 

Another visible appearance of the Holy Spirit , 
is seen on the Day of Pentecost. u He " is 



Pneumatology , 



105 



spoken of as " Cloven tongues, like as of fire." 
He is mentioned along with the Father, and the 
Son. In Matt.: xxxiii, 19, we read: u Go ye 
therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them 
in the name of the Father, and the Son, and 
the Holy Ghost." They were not commanded 
to make disciples only, but to baptize them in 
the name of the Father, and the Son, and the 
Holy Ghost. 

Here might it not be asked if , in the name of 
the Holy Spirit the nations are to be baptized, 
then why conclude that He is not a person, and, 
further, an important member of the Trinity, 
since He is mentioned along with the Father and 
the Son? 

DIVINITY OF THE SPIRIT. 

In view of the fact that we have considered 
the Holy Spirit as a person, we shall now show 
that He is also God. If we examine the titles 
referring to Him as God, we shall then see that 
He is also God, and therefore divine. 

In Acts, v, 3-4, Peter said, u Ananias, why 
has satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy 
Ghost!" and further on, in the same verse, 
"Thou hast not lied unto men, but to God." 
Does he mean to call the Holy Spirit and God 
one and the same! Indeed so — for if he does 
not mean that, then it is strange to grasp his 



106 



Pneumatology. 



meaning; or, in other words, there is no mean- 
ing at all to the passage. 

By the attributes ascribed to Him, they prove 
Him to be Grod. In Paul's letter to the He- 
brews, xi, 14, He is called the Eternal Spirit — 
"who through the Eternal Spirit.'' The same 
attributes are ascribed to Grod. This being true, 
no one is eternal but Glod. Hence, the Spirit 
must be Grod. 

We read, again (Rom. : viii, 14), these words: 
"As many as are led by the Spirit of Gk)d, they 
are the sons of Grod." "Your body is the tem- 
ple of the Holy Grhost which is in you." I Cor. : 
vi, 19. 

Now, if the foregoing statement is true, does 
it not prove the omnipresence of the Holy Spirit ! 
And that if He is everywhere — "in you," and 
"searches" all things, as are seen elsewhere. 
— He is Grod, from the very fact of His being 
everywhere and searching all things! 

"Whither shall I go from Thy spirit, or 
whither shall I flee from Thy presence!" (Ps.: 
cxxxix, 7) is another proof of the omnipresence 
of the Spirit. 

They prove further that He is omniscient— 
"searcheth all things." 

"Now, the Lord is that spirit." The above 
reference proves the divinity of the Holy Grhost. 

Nicodemus was taught not to be born only, 



Pnemnatology. 



107 



but of the Spirit. " Verily, I say unto thee, ex- 
cept a man be born of water and the Spirit he 
cannot see the Kingdom of God." (John: iii,5). 
We refer to this passage to show that He is not 
only mentioned, but is important along as Grod. 

His Divinity is established further: "He is 
the spirit of truth," "of grace." Job.: xxxiii, 
4, says: "The Spirit of Grod has made me and 
the breath of the Almighty has given me life." 
"By His spirit He has garnished the heavens, 
his hand hath formed the crooked serpent." 
Job: xxvi, 13. In the thirty-third chapter, 
fourth verse, reads thus: 

"Spiritus dei facet me et spiraculum omnipotentis 
vivificavit me" — Vulgate. 

The work of creation is too great to attribute 
it to any but Grod, therefore the work is that of 
Grod, and the Holy Spirit is Grod. 

Psalm li, 12, shows that the writer was 
conversant with the Spirit as a great being of 
power. Here he says: "Uphold me with thy 
free spirit." It shows him as a perserver. "By 
the word of the Lord were the heavens made 
and all the host of them by the spirit of his 
mouth," reads the Psalmist. 

The power of resurrecting is ascribed to the 
Spirit. John: vi, 63; "It is the Spirit that 
quickeneth." Can it be said that any but Grod, 
who made man, can raise the dead? Indeed 



108 



Pneumatology. 



not! If then no one can raise the dead but 
Grocl, then we are justifiable in our conclusion 
that the Holy Spirit must be Grod. 

There is another fact prominent that impresses 
this fact upon us with as much force as that of 
the light of the sun impresses it upon us that 
the sun shines. It is recorded in the twelfth 
chapter of St. Matthew and thirty-first verse, 
thus: " Wherefore I say unto you all manner 
of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto 
men ; but the blasphemy against the Holy Grhost 
shall not be forgiven unto men." Here the 
Holy Spirit is seen to occupy no other place 
than that of G-od, for all sin, i. e., sin against 
any other persons may be forgiven, but sin 
against the Holy Grhost shall not be forgiven.- 

"A character so revered and majestic can be 
no other than the supreme God." — Ralston. 

I Peter: iii, 18: "Being put to death in the 
flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." "He that 
raiseth up Christ from the dead shall quicken 
your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in 
you," Rom: viii, 11. "The grace of the Lord 
Jesus Christ and the love of Grod, and the com- 
munion of the Holy Grhost be with you all, 
Amen." II Cor. xiii, 14. 

The Holy Grhost is worshiped here and His 
godly favor invoked, the same as that of the 
Father and the Son. He does not say, "The 



Pneumatology . 



109 



grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of 
Grod 7 ' only, but ' ' and the communion of the 
Holy Ghost," Why mention the Holy Ghost if 
he is a mere energy, or an operation, or an at- 
tribute of God! 

Such a conclusion (i. e. : to say that he is not 
Divine) is absurd and wrong in the main. The 
fact is too plain, and the impression too deep to 
be wiped out by mere gratification of a rival 
spirit, or to satisfy a sickly mind. 

His personality and divinity flooded the mind 
of the world of old, and has printed and fash- 
ioned in the minds of men, of all nations, that 
idea which will stand when rolling years cease 
to move — the Divinity of the Spirit. 

Who can read Paul, John, Matthew — or search 
the sacred Scriptures — plow them to the lowest 
depth, examine their contents, and return with 
empty thoughts on this line? The thought 
freighted with truth and beauty, lined with 
grandeur and love, proves the Spirit as a God, 
and Divine. For in the placid hall of nature, 
in the deep chambers of the night, along the 
curtains of mist, this truth shines, and with its 
weight and breadth it swings on in the existence 
of creative skill, until there is nothing more to 
gainsay, nor make one afraid. 

It was He who garnished the heavens, painted 
the rainbow, decorated the skies, beautified the 



110 



P neum at olo g y . 



moon, moved upon the face of the deep and 
brought forth a hundred million luminating 
lights, flung them promiscuously out into space, 
gave to them their eternal decree, wrote it 
throughout the ramification of nature — that the 
Spirit is Divine, and that he is Grod — Grod in 
substance and in authority, but a separate being 
in operation. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



TRINITY. 

We mean by the Trinity that there are three 
persons in one Godhead, and that the three per- 
sons make np what we call the Trinity. The 
word is from the Latin Trinitas, compounded of 
tres (three) and unus (one). The trinity is 
plainly shown in the beginning, when things 
were first created. Grod said: "Let us make 
man in our own image. " Now, beyond a doubt', 
the Trinity is true if that be a fact. The word 
is plural, or unity of the Trinity. Appeals to 
the Bible, nature and history, each shows that 
there is a Trinity, or three in one. 

The Bible states that there is one Grod. "Hear, 
O Israel, the Lord our Grod is one Lord." Deut. : 
vi, 4. Of course, the word is plural in the Hebrew 
(Lord). "If I be Adonim, masters, where is 
my fear!" Mai.: i, 6. "Remember thy Cre- 
ator in the days of thy youth." Eccl.': 
xii, 1. "And Grod said, Let us make man in 
our own image, after our likeness." Gen.: i, 26. 
We quote the words of Drs. Owen and Dod- 
dridge and Bishops Pierson and Bull: "Though 



112 



Trinity. 



Grod the Father is the foundation of the Deity, 
the whole Divine nature is communicated from 
the Father to the Son, and from both to the 
Spirit ; yet so that the Father and the Son are 
not separate nor separable from the Divinity, 
but do still exist in it and are most intimately 
united with it." The term person signifies, in 
ordinary language, an intelligent being; two or 
more persons, therefore, in the strict philosophi- 
cal sense, would be two or more distinct beings. 
If the term person were so applied to the Trinity 
in the Grodhead, a plurality of Gods would fol- 
low; while, if taken in what has been called a 
political sense, personality would be no more 
than relation arising out of office. 

" Personality in Grod is, therefore, not to be 
understood in either of the above senses, if we 
pay respect to the testimony of Scriptures ; Grod 
is one being, but He is more than one being in 
three relations, for personal acts such as we 
ascribe to distinct persons, and which most un- 
equally characterize personality, are ascribed to 
each person of the Trinity. 7 ' 

THKEE PERSONS IN THE GODHEAD. 

That there are three persons in the Grodhead 
is a doctrine that cannot be disputed by intel- 
ligent observers. For the truth of this assertion 
we appeal to the holy Scriptures, which we are 



Trinity. 



113 



satisfied mean nothing but the truth and the 
whole trnth. The very word Elohim in the 
Hebrew is plural, and means more than one. 
Gen.: i, 1 reads: "In the beginning Elohim 
(the Gods) created heaven and earth.' 7 Another 
striking proof of the Triune God. "And God 
said, Let us make man after our likeness." 
Gen.: i, 26. "And the Lord God said, Behold 
the man is become as one of us. 7 ' Gren. : 3, 22, 
etc. Hence, we conclude that there are three 
persons in the Godhead, and the three are one: 
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. The 
attributes which are ascribed to God are ascribed 
also to the Son and the Holy Grhost. Jesus 
Christ, in His great commission to His disciples, 
told them to baptize in the name of the Father, 
Son and Holy Grhost ; all three are here referred 
to. It would be useless for an attempt to be 
made to change the meaning of the words. 
There are three that bear record in heaven. 
Again: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, 
and the love of God, and the communion of the 
Holy Grhost be with you all. 77 II Cor. : xiii, 14. 

These passages prove nothing at all, unless 
the three persons, the Father, Son and Holy 
Grhost, are the same. There are many 
other passages that will prove the same when 
referred to, but as we think enough has al- 
ready been said, we will conclude by saying 



114 



Trinity. 



the three pessons in the Godhead are the 
Father , Son and Holy Ghost. The Scriptures 
bear us out in saying there are three persons in 
the Godhead, from the fact the plural is 
formed. And the Lord God said, "Behold the 
man is become as one of us," Gen. : iii, 22. The 
pronoun "us" is plural and means more than one ; 
hence there must be three persons in the God- 
head, especially when one God is mentioned, for 
the Scriptures read, "There is but one God;" 
now then if this is a fact, the plural means three 
persons in the Godhead. Many other Scripture 
references could be made. 

ILLUSTRATION OF THE DIVINE AUTHORITY. 

As far as we see and understand, we think 
there are many illustrations in all nature's works 
that prove the Trinity or three in one God. As 
one has said, take the sun, there is the light, the 
heat and the round orb. When we speak of the 
light, we mean the sun. Also heat and orb. Is 
this not three in one? When we look at our- 
selves we see the trinity; we have a soul, flesh 
and mind ; while we do not claim these as satis- 
factory proofs, we do claim that they weigh 
something, in the enlightened mind, in favor of 
the Trinity. 

SOME OPINIONS OF ARIAN. 

Arianism opposes the Trinity, and claims that 



Trinity. 



115 



the Son and Spirit are exalted creatures of God. 
Sabellionisni is opposed to Trinitarism and 
Arianism. It teaches the divinity of the Son 
and Holy Spirit, but denies the personality of 
both. According to that doctrine, there is but 
one God or person in the Godhead, and the 
Spirit and Son are virtues, emanations or func- 
tions only ; since these theories have successfully 
gained a position in the background, a refuta- 
tion is unnecessary, 



CHAPTER IX. 



DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 

The care which Grod exercises over his creat- 
ures properly deserves consideration in this 
article, but as our space is limited, only a brief 
statement will be made of Divine providence. 

Revelation and reason establish the fact of 
Divine providence. 

Grod is a perfect being ; good, all- wise omnipo- 
tent, just and righteous. 

If this is accepted as a fact, and cannot be 
contradicted, it is reasonable to think that such 
a being would care for what he has made, from 
the fact he is good, omnipotent, wise, just, and 
merciful. 

An examination of nature, throughout her 
entire ramification, brings this truth before us. 

"But, as Grod is just, and righteous in all his 
doings, He must exercise moral government over 
his rational creatures and reward, or punish 
them according to their actions, and in the 
course of His providence, so overrule them as to 
promote the ultimate ends of his administra- 
tion." 



Divine Providence. 



117 



As Grod exists without a cause, and as he is 
the cause of all things, it is plain that all must 
depend upon him for their support. 

What else could be expected, and what else 
could be done? Upon whom can all depend? 
All are dependent, upon God, their pre-existing 
cause. Matter is helpless and only moves as it 
is moved upon by outer or inner-forces, hence 
there could be no operation at all, by the things 
of the world, had it not been for G-od. 

Man could not survive, were there no cause 
for such existence. 

All are dependent, from the highest mountain 
to the lowest hill, from the strongest to the 
weakest man. 

For, "In him we live and move, and have our 
being," Acts: xvii, 28. 

If we live in Him, and move in Him, and have 
our being in Him, there can be no doubt about 
His divine providence when we once examine 
His nature. 

He is both over and under us; "our all, and 
in all." 

All things are upheld by Him. 

Notwithstanding that there are worlds, suns, 
moons, stars, etc. , dashing like lightning through 
space, yet they are kept by Him who rules over 
all in their respective places ; so that there is 
neither conflict nor wrong one by the other ; no 



118 



Divine Pro vidence . 



part is ever omitted, nor does a single part go 
astray from his sight. The years come and go 
in rapid succession, pregnant with winters, 
spring, etc. ; freighted with fruits, songs of 
birds, wholesome atmosphere; all indicating the 
superintendence of some supreme hand — the 
Almighty, the Everlasting Father. These laws 
for the maintainance of the universe, made and 
fostered by Grod, are the same today that they 
were years ago. 

Romans: ii, 14-15, throws much light upon 
this fact. Paul says: "When the Grentiles, 
which had not the law, do by nature the things 
contained in the law; these having not the 
law unto themselves, which shows the work of 
the law written in their hearts, their conscience 
also bearing witness,' 7 etc. 

Grod has revealed to men in all ages His will 
and that He cares for them, notwithstanding 
they may not know Him by the same name as 
that by which the Christians know Him. 

The law has been written in their hearts and 
thus man cannot get away from it; so, should 
he go wrong he must be held accountable, for 
Grod has revealed to him His loving kindness, 
His law ; even upon the table of his heart has 
He planted it. 

i i The day is thine ; the night also is thine j 
thou hast prepared the light and the sun ; thou 



Divine Providence . 



119 



hast set all the borders of the earth ; thou hast 
made summers and winters." Psalms: Ixxiv, 
16-17. 

' ' He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and 
the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on 
the unjust." Matt.: v, 45. 

Inanimate, as well as animate creatures are 
cared for by Grod: ''Who has measured the 
waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out 
the heavens with the span ; and comprehended 
the dust of the earth in a measure ; and weighed 
the mountains in scales, and the hills in a bal- 
ance?" Isaiah: xl, 12. 

Grod extends His superintendence throughout 
the universe. That Grod concerns himself about 
the affairs of the world is evident ; were He un- 
concerned as to the welfare of men there could 
be no reward, nor punishment ; hence, the just 
would have no one to look to for justice and the 
wicked no one to expect punishment from ; there- 
fore, all would become a mass of confusion, and 
the wicked would look upon Him as an idle 
spectator. He causeth the grass to grow for 
the cattle, and herbs for the service of man; 
that he may bring forth food out of the earth 
and wine that maketh glad the hearts of men, 
and oil to make his face to shine, and bread 
which strengtheneth man's heart. 

" The trees of the Lord are full of sap, the 



120 



Divine Providence. 



cedars of Lebanon which He hath planted." 
Psalms: civ, 14-16. 

"Consider the lilies of the field, how they 
grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; and 
yet I say unto yon, that even Solomon in all his 
glory was not arrayed as one of these. There- 
fore, if Cod so clothe the grass of the field," 
etc. Matt.: vi, 28-30. 

"The eyes of all wait upon Thee; and thou 
givest them their meat in due season. Thou 
openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of 
every living thing." Psalms: cxlv, 15-16. 

"Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow 
not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; 
yet your Heavenly Father f eedeth them. ' ' Matt . : 
vi, 26. 

i ' Who provideth for the raven his food ! 
When his young cry unto Grod, they wonder for 
the lack of meat." Job: xxxviii, 41. 

"He giveth to the beast his food, and to the 
young ravens which cry." Psalms: cxlvii, 9. 

Everything depends upon Cod for food. He 
cares for them all. This fact is explained or 
made plain in these Scripture passages. Nothing 
can be plainer. 

NATURE OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 

The providence of Cod extends to all places. 
The eyes of the Lord are in every place. In Him 
we live. Our steps are directed by Grod. 



Divine Providence. 



121 



Empires and kingdoms are alike subject to 
Him. Unlike man and other of his handiwork, 
He fills ail space. The mighty deep, yea the 
lowest geological depth knows his power. 

Grod's government over man is of moral char- 
acter. "He defines their duty by moral laws; 
He enforces these laws by moral motives, such 
as the authority of the Lawgiver, the equity of 
laws themselves, the advantages of obedience, 
and the evil consequences of sin." 

OBJECT OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 

We may divide the object of Divine Provi- 
dence into general, special and particular. 

The former extends to everything, i. e., all 
creatures. It is true that some take the stand 
that general providence means that Grod cares 
for the most important, and that the small or 
less important He cares not for ; but this argu- 
ment must fall to the ground when it is remem- 
bered, " Though the Lord be high, yet he has 
respect unto the lowly." Ps. : cxxxviii. 6. u O 
Lord, thou preserveth man and beast." 

How could He care for the whole without 
caring for the parts? Do the parts not make up 
the whole f 

The smallest are cared for by Gk>d. What 
man regards as insignificant Grod does not re- 
gard as insignificant. All are alike depending 



122 



Divine Providence. 



upon Him and all alike receive His superin- 
tendency. 

SPECIAL PROVIDENCE. 

Special providence refers to man, the highest 
of Grod's workmanship. 

Grod has endowed him with reason, raised him 
above the animals, and made him a little lower 
than the angels. 

Therefore, man, the most intelligent of Glod's 
creatures, receives Grod's special care. This fact 
is borne out by the statement of Job: u Thine 
hands have made me, and fashioned me together 
round about. Thou hast clothed me with skin 
and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and 
sinews; Thou hast granted me life and favor, 
and thy visitations hast preserved my spirit." 
Job: x, 8, 11-12. 

In regards to the end of human life, "The 
causes of death are various, as accidents, old age, 
and disease, etc., but all of these causes aer 
under the control of Divine providence." 

Man should not complain when Grod calls, for 
all are His, and upon Him all depends. He 
taketh away, and who can hinder Him! 

We cannot think that man loses his life with- 
out Grod .knowing it, nor is it the work of 
u chance." 

If Grod cares for the smallest of His creatures, 



Divine Providence. 



123 



indeed He cares for man, who stands out over 
and above all His handiwork in His sight. 

So, when man dies it is by will of Grod. 

" Seeing his days are determined, the number 
of his months are with Thee. Thou hast ap- 
pointed his bounds that he cannot pass." Job: 
xiv, 5. 

"Thou returnest man to destruction; and 
sayest, Return, ye children of men.' 7 Psalms: 
xc, 3. 

Man's days are not only determined, but Grod 
has appointed his bounds that he cannot pass : 
u Thus far shalt thou go, and no further." 

Whether every man's end is so fixed that there 
can be no spreading out of the days of man or 
not, one thing is certain: Grod knows when man 
must die. 

" The days of our years are three-score years 
and ten, and if by reason of strength they be 
four-score years, yet is their strength labor and 
sorrow; for it is soon cut off and we fly away." 
Psalms: xc, 10. 

The clays of the righteous may be lengthened 
out by Him. This we infer from this passage: 
6 ' Honor thy father and thy mother that thy 
days may be long upon the land which the Lord 
thy Grod giveth thee." Exod: xx, 12. 

From this we infer that the days of the right- 
eous, or those who obey Grod, shall be long 



124 



Divine Providence. 



upon the land which Grod has given. That man 
can shorten his days is a fact. "Bloody and 
deceitful men shall not live out. half of their 
days." In this we are taught the fate of the 
bloody and deceitful men; their end comes 
soon. 

Grocl is not the author of sin, as some would 
say, because He knows all things, and puts a 
boundary to man's existence. Man is free to 
do as he will. Therefore, he can prolong his 
life by obedience, or he can shorten it by his 
acts of disobedience. 

This fact can be demonstrated by referring to 
Hezekiah, who prayed, and thus had fifteen 
years added to his life, 

It must be admitted that, on the other hand, 
that Grod overrules sin, as in the case of Joseph. 
His brethren thought evil of him, but Grocl over- 
ruled and turned it into good. 

Particular providence of Grocl concerns the 
good of His people. 

While Grod cares for all men, yet He exercises 
special care over the good. This fact is demon- 
strated by our examination of the Scriptures. 
While the righteous suffer as do the wicked, yet 
Grod knows what they need — grants their request, 
though man is unable to comprehend this fact. 
The righteous knows that 1 ' all things work to- 
gether for good." 



CHAPTER X. 



THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST. 

The Kingdom of Christ is an everlasting one ; it 
is without end, and is not of this world only, for 
Christ said, My Kingdom is not of this world. 
Being the second person in the trinity, His King- 
dom is in the hearts of men ; Christ desired 
nothing in this world more than that the people 
would become perfect in love and obedience to 
the Father ; He was the long expected King who 
was to come and bring all nations unto Him. 
Unlike the kings of this world, whose royal 
power extended only to certain distances, the 
entire world was His. Standing above all, and in 
all, and under all, He says, Come to me and live, 
ail ye ends of the earth." 

Strictly speaking, the Kingdom of Christ is the 
kingdom of grace, for it is by His grace that we 
are made partakers of Divine love ; where grace 
abounds, there is the Kingdom of Grod. If the 
Kingdom of Grace is not the Kingdom of Christ, 
and if he rules not in the place where grace is, 
we are short of the desired information ; for it is 



126 



The Kingdom of Christ. 



a fact that ' 1 Grace and truth come by Jesus 
Christ, while it is in the hearts of men on earth, 
it is also in Heaven ; My Kingdom is not of this 
world, strictly speaking, not located here only, 
for all time to come, but of everlasting rest ; there 
is a rest beyond, u unmeasured by the flight of 
years, and all that rest is love." 

THE KINGDOM OF GOD DIFFERS FROM THE KING- 
DOM OF CHRIST. 

On beginning, we discover great difficulties in 
dealing with this subject, and few theologians 
mention the matter at all. If there is any dif- 
ference between the two kingdoms above, we are 
unable to see them ; unless we refer to the King- 
dom of God as being universal, and the King- 
dom of Christ as the kingdom of grace, set up 
in the hearts of men. In this way it can be seen 
to extend only where the family of men extend, 
and no further ; for certainly grace is not applied 
where it is not needed. If this be a fact, we see 
there is a vast difference, though a hard one to 
explain. 

The Kingdom of God is an endless one ; has 
existed in all ages, and fills all space, where only 
Deity is known. The central figure in this king- 
dom is our Maker, who, at a glance sees and 
controls all things. The winds His chariot 
wheels, the thunder His voice, all are subject to 



The Kingdom of Christ. 



127 



Him, even the towering mountains whose heads 
are lifted to such a height that the clouds some- 
times rest upon them. Gro where you may in 
the broad fields of nature; look and view all 
things, dispatch with lightning to the distant 
worlds, ask for the boundary lines of the King- 
dom of Glod ; if angels would reply, the answer 
would return, Grod's Kingdom is everywhere. 
Ride on the wings of the furious winds, from 
continent to continent, ask, as you go. for the 
boundary line of " I Am," and creation will say, 
Drive on to the fiery horse of Heaven, the sun, 
who, as he turns on his axis, shows that Grod has 
no boundary line. He will say His Kingdom is 
everywhere. 

No one would say that Christ is equal with 
Grod in every respect. If so, He could not be 
the second person in the trinity, a matter which 
is generally acknowledged among all prominent 
logicians, as far as office is concerned. The 
Kingdom of Christ refers to the work of the 
heart, the grace of GJ-ocl in the heart, as we have 
stated in another place. 



CHAPTER XL 



THE RELIGION OF CHKIST. 

The religion of Jesus Christ is intended to be 
universal; that is plainly demonstrated when 
we look at Christ's teachings, " G-o ye into all 
the world and preach the Grospel;" "Preach, the 
Grospel to every creature." The prophet says 
his dominion shall be from sea to sea. His 
Kingdom shall be an everlasting one. These 
and many other passages prove that the religion 
of Jesus Christ is intended to be a universal re- 
ligion. "The Grospel must be preached in all 
generations." 

We have long since concluded that it is the re- 
ligion for all time to come; other religions 
shall be abandoned for the want of good morals, 
and the pure doctrine of a Risen Redeemer 
preached to the people. The religion of Jesus 
Christ must stand forever. It is a certainty that 
those religions which teach many gods cannot 
stand with G-od's eternal word, for He is from 
everlasting to everlasting. 

All men of every race, tribe and people can be 
saved by it. All men of every tribe and people 



The Religion of Christ. 



129 



can cling to, and be saved by, the Christian re- 
ligion; the invitation is to all — " Go ye into all 
the world and preach the Gospel to every creat- 
ure ; he that believeth and is baptized shall be 
saved." "Repent and believe." "Except ye 
repent, ye shall all likewise perish." It de- 
pends, in a large measure, upon the person — the 
Scripture plainly states that every man can re- 
pent. The appeal is to all, and it is with them 
whether they repent or not. Being free moral 
agents, they can come to the feast or stay away. 
While man can do nothing of himself in the 
way of justifying himself, still he can repent and 
believe, and God will give the grace that will re- 
store him in the favor of God. 

Salvation's plan is so simple that even the 
fool need not err. " The Spirit says Come; the 
bride says Come; let him that heareth say 
Come, and whosoever will let him take the water 
of life freely." "Come all ye that are heavy 
laden and I will give yon rest." Surely it is 
plain that all can be saved by the Christian re- 
ligion . 

WILL ALL BE SAVED ? 

This is a somewhat complex question. We 
cannot say whether all will be saved or not. 
None but those who believe and repent can pos- 
sibly be saved. "He that believeth shall be 
saved." 

Sig 9— C T 



130 



The Religion of Christ. 



SALVATION ATTAINABLE. 

Through the death and suffering of Jesus 
Christ is salvation attainable. The first thing is 
repentance: everywhere men are taught to re- 
pent. Except ye repent ye shall likewise perish. 
" Repent and believe and be baptized and thou 
shalt be saved." Repentance means hearty 
sorrow and a desire to turn away from sin ; this 
is what every person can do. Belief on the 
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is what an indi- 
vidual must have — the Scriptures say so, and it 
must be true. " He that believeth and is bap- 
tized shall be saved." Argument in favor of 
ability of man believing in (rod can be drawn 
from the above quoted sentence. 

ALL MEN ARE FREE TO ACCEPT THE CONDITIONS. 

All men are perfectly free to accept these con- 
ditions: if they fail to do so, it is their own 
fault, being, as they are, free moral agents. Grod 
made them free beings, just to do what they 
will to do, so that they can accept if they choose. 
"This day have I set before thee darkness and 
light, or death and life. Choose ye whom ye 
will serve." "Come to me and I will give you 
rest." 

Why should the Maker ask men to accept, if 
they are not free? Why not make them accept? 
No, because they are free; and as they are free 



The Religion of Christ. 



131 



they can choose day or night. If there is any 
force in the freedom of the will, then all are free, 
so as to accept or believe. Of course, some men 
"will" to be lost, because they will not accept 
eternal life, but it is not because Grod has de- 
creed so. 

There are some who will fail, simply because 
they refuse to accept salvation, though able and 
free to accept if they choose. Grod has made it 
so that all men can repent and believe on the 
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ . There is no direct 
and truthful reason why they should not believe, 
only they will not believe. 

Christ is Salvation ; by and through Him the 
way has been made plain, so that all men can 
be saved. He tasted death for all mankind; 
He died that we might live. By his death, or 
dying in our stead, we are permitted to live. 
This being a fact, we may safely say that salva- 
tion is the saving principle, procured by the 
the death of Christ, so that man by it is saved. 
It is a divine favor from G-ocl. 



CHAPTER XII. 



PREDESTINATION. 

That Grod made some men to be saved and oth- 
ers to be lost, and had foreknowledge of the 
same, is the doctrine of the Calvinist — this is 
predestination. 

That Calvin taught this doctrine is plainly 
seen, when we examine the Westminster Con- 
fession of Faith. While Mr. Calvin taught the 
doctrine as above stated, nevertheless it is con- 
trary to facts and common sense. Who can 
possibly belieA^e that a just God is that kind of 
being, example of that nature, to make a man 
unto death and damn him for dying? Such an 
opinion is most too humble. We cannot see 
into it, and here we must side with Armenius. 
That there is such a thing as predestination — 
we do not attempt to deny the Scriptural grounds 
for it, but we understand it to mean that all men 
are foreordained to be saved, providing they be- 
lieve and repent. 

Leaving this to stand alone for awhile, we now 



Predestination. 



133 



come to consider the general meaning of the 
word "predestination." The Jews were elected 
to be the Church of God, Moses a leader, and 
Christ a redeemer; bnt this may be called na- 
tional election. Well, that is just what we mean. 
Now, to say that because some men are elected 
to do certain things why should we infer that God 
means that all others shall be lost! Not a bit of 
it, for "He died for the world," and commands 
His disciples to go and preach the gospel to 
every creature. He leaves the individual to fix 
his own destiny. "He that belie vet h shall be 
saved." "Whosoever will, may come." St. 
Peter says: "God is no respecter of persons, 
but in every nation, he that feareth Him and 
wo rketh righteousness is accepted with Him." 
The word i 1 predestination 7 ' is from pro (before) 
and orizo (design, finish, bound or terminate) ; 
pro-orizo, this Calvinists understand to mean 
foreordination. From the former we have in 
English "horizon," from oroz (a boundary 
limit). Calvinists understand these phrases to 
mean election from all eternity, and that if some 
were elected, why, of course, others are damned 
— that is, ordained to damnation. 

If the above is true, predestination means that 
God has decreed that all men should live and 
enjoy eternal blessings. If it means anything, 
it means choice, and as persons must be free 



134 



Predestination. 



to choose or make a choice, it is plain they can 
choose what they will. If they choose death the 
blame should not be laid to our Maker. 

FOKEORDLNATION . 

All events are not foreordained, if we under- 
stand the Bible upon this subject, though there 
are some things decreed from the beginning: 
"Ye (families) children of Jacob, His chosen 
ones." "Ye have not chosen me, but I have 
chosen thee from the beginning." All of this 
we believe; still we can't think that all events 
are foreordained. Some may say that if we 
deny foreordination, we deny the foreknowledge 
of God. These are two different things. A man 
may foreknow anything and then not be able to 
change it. "We acknowledge that Grod fore- 
knows all things, but it don't mean foreordina- 
tion ; this we cannot see from the fact foreordi- 
nation and foreknowledge are not the same. 

To say that all events are foreordained, is to 
say that Grod made some men to everlasting 
misery and others to eternal joy; the joy we 
don't deny. "For Grod so loved the world that 
He gave His only begotten Son to die, that who- 
soever believeth on Him should not perish, but 
have everlasting life." 

When we understand the true import of the 
word, we should commit an outrage on the good 



Predestination. 



135 



character of God to say that He foreordained all 
things and made some to perish. 

AEMINIAN VIEW. 

The Arminian view is, that Christ made a full, 
perfect and sufficient sacrifice for all mankind. 
That He atoned for the world is plain when we 
understand that u Christ tasted death for all," 
"He died in our room or stead;" "the just suf- 
fered for the unjust." These and many phrases 
show that Christ made an atonement for the 
world, for He says to His disciples : u Gro ye into 
all the world and preach the gospel to every 
creature." Admitting that He knows all things 
from the fact that He is Grod, why should He 
send the gospel to those that He knows He has 
hardened their hearts and foreordained to dam- 
nation! As this would prove an absurdity in 
the Divine plan of salvation, we must acknowl- 
edge that He arranged for the safety of all men 
and left it with man to reject or accept. 

Arminians believe in national elections — that 
King Cyrus was elected to build the walls of the 
temple, and that Moses was chosen to lead the 
Jews, and Christ to redeem the world, on condi- 
tion of the belief of mankind. From the script- 
ural standpoint, G-od is no respecter of persons. 

The Scriptures, we think, renders as plain an 
explanation as is necessary when it is thoroughly 



136 



Predestination. 



understood ; this is as plain as day 'set forth 
in Arminianism. Arminianism is undoubtedly 
the most reasonable. To say that Grod foreor- 
dained all events is an outrage on the justice of 
God, from the fact that God's own words contra- 
dict Calvinism, when it states that "some were 
ordained to wrath and others to death/' "for 
the spirit and the bride say come/' etc., " and 
whosoever will let him take the water of life 
freely." This shows that Grod would that all 
men come, "whosoever will." This shows that 
man can do as he will, "I call Heaven and 
earth to record this day against you that I have 
set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, 
therefore choose life, that both thou and thy 
seed may live." Can it be inferred that Grod 
willed that men should perish, or even some 
should die, when He states choose life! If there 
is any force in argument, it shows that Grod wills 
that all should live, and that man is a free agent, 
from the fact that he is asked to choose life. As 
none but free men can make choice, then he can 
act as he will, then he has a free will; why, they 
have the shaping of their own destiny. This, of 
course, would knock Calvinism on the head, for 
it teaches that all events are foreordained, when, 
if the Bible is true, they are not. 

Arminianism has the stronger Bible support. 
Most everywhere in the Scripture the ability of 



Predestination, 



137 



" Free Will " is exhibited , and men are taught 
to repent and believe, and their salvation de- 
pends largely on repentance, from the fact that 
we must repent and believe the Gospel of Christ ; 
unless, says the Scripture, u Ye repent ye shall 
all likewise perish." If all things are foreor- 
dained, then those who are damned are damned 
because they could not help themselves, which 
would indicate that they were made and com- 
pelled to do as they do, and be lost. This would do 
away with the free will of man, which Grod has 
made in his own words so very plain : 1 6 Let 
the wicked forsake his ways and the unrighteous 
man his thoughts, and let him return unto the 
Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to 
our Grod, for He will abundantly pardon," Ezk. : 
xxxviii, 2. The wicked here is to return unto 
the Lord. That the Lord desires that all men 
would return is plain in the above. For He says, 
"Let the wicked," not one, but all are invited. 
Christ says, "Come unto me all ye that labor 
and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." 
Thinking that enough has been said to prove that 
Arminianism has the more scriptural grounds, 
we conclude. 

Calvinists believe in the doctrine of Calvin, 
that some men are ordained to eternal woe, 
and others to life. 

It teaches whatever comes, it matters not what 



138 



Predestination. 



it is, is foreordained by God — that if a man do 
wrong, God has already foreordained snch, and 
the man cannot possibly do away with it. 

Hence, some men are elected to eternal life, 
and others doomed to eternal death. That is 
what foreordination means, as explained by Cal- 
vinism. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



FREE WILL. 

On entering upon this subject we consider it a 
very important one, as are all others we have here- 
tofore considered. Free will, i. e., the free ac- 
tion of men, though given, still is left to vary in 
any way, and not compelled to go in any one 
prescribed way. 

That there is such a thing as free will, and 
that free will is in substance what we have just 
stated, will be seen when we view the Script- 
ures. The very language or phraseology of the 
following passages will show that there is such a 
thing as free will, or action of individuals. 

"If the wicked will return." ''Return, 
house of Jacob!" "I have set before." 
" Choose, repent and believe." 

Now, if the Scripture proves anything, it 
proves in the above the free agency of men, i. e., 
the free moral agency ; from the fact the moral 
as well as the eternal principles are both equally 
essential to humanity. 

If man was (as some say) not free as to 
"will," why should the Maker ask him to return, 



140 



Free Will 



when He knows that He has made him, and preor- 
dained it that he should go in all the way of 
death. Necessity shows that man must be free 
when the Maker asks him to return ; surely the 
Maker would not be so mean as to make man 
unto death and then ask him to return, when 
He foreknows that He had arranged that he 
could not return. 

Man's free agency is proven when we turn to 
the great commission of Christ : " Go ye into 
all the world and preach/' etc. What need is 
there in teaching and preaching to all nations , 
if they are doomed to death. Grod, we are sure, 
is not that kind of a being. The idea would 
show that He is unjust, to punish or inflict with 
great pain, and sorrow upon man, that which 
man cannot help. All that we have, or can 
get, come from Grocl; that is in the way of good, 
for the Scripture says, "All good and perfect 
gifts come from Grod. ' ' But this does not refer 
to the will of man, which is independent, foi as 
to the will, the Scriptures show that man is of 
free will, when Grod sets before us death and 
life, and says, " Choose ye this day whom ye 
shall serve " ; " whosoever will, may come." 

The plain inference is, that man is independ- 
ent in will as his will, or acting as his will. 

Leaving the subject of free will, our attention 
shall be turned next to the free action of man. 



Free Will 



141 



Can man act freely? To this question we are 
persuaded to say that man can act freely. Man 
is a free agent; of course if he is a free agent, 
he can act freely in mind only. To say that 
man can act freely other than in mind, we think 
wonld charge the Maker with a wicked heart, or 
disposition. 

Our first proof on behalf of free will will be 
based upon the free action of man, so far as 
mind is concerned ; that the mechanism of man 
is of that nature, is seen in his everyday walk. 
In this we find we have a desire and act just as 
we please, or will. It seems that the whole that 
controls the interior man is largely, or wholly 
controlled by the will of man. If we desire to 
steal, so be it; to kill, so be it; one has said: 
" I am free, and I know it." " I know that I 
am free, and that ends it." I find that I can act 
to suit myself. I find in these acts that I am per 
fectly free. I can do just as I wish to do, this 
or that; still I can leave both off and choose 
another way. 

The power of choice shows the free action of 
man's mind. Can we infer that the Maker, 
being just in all His acts, would say to man, 
" Choose life," when He knows that man could 
not choose such? Would this not show that om 
Maker is an ignorant being? That after mak- 
ing man, and fixing him so that he could not do 



142 



Free Will. 



this or that, say to him, " Choose life!" The 
very fact of u choice," or telling a man to 
choose, shows that he is a free agent. Again, 
why did the Maker say to Adam: There is a 
certain tree in the midst of the garden, of good 
and evil, " He that eateth of a certain fruit there 
shall surely die!" In breaking of the law, or 
eating of the fruit, the very act that has caused 
so many to weep, shows that he was not com- 
pelled to act as the Maker ordered him. He 
acted as he chose, and brought a curse on the 
whole world. 

Free action is shown everywhere in the free, 
unrestrained disposition of man. If man desires 
to think of farming, it is all right ; for awhile 
he thinks and again he changes, and thinks or 
studies 'another occupation. Suppose we ac- 
knowledge that man cannot act free, how are 
we going to account for all the crimes that are 
committed by men! Shall we say that Grod 
foreordained it that way, and make men act as 
they do! This would let man out and make 
G-od responsible for everything ; hence, to pun- 
ish man would be an outrange upon human de- 
cency. This would make our just Grod respon- 
sible for all the crimes ; for with Him must be 
the fault, and He would be no Grod, a providence 
being unfit for His own government, much less 
the government of an intelligent people. 



Free Will 



143 



LIMITS TO HUMAN FEEEDOM. 

Humanity, as we understand it, is free to act 
in everything, except making himself fit for the 
Kingdom of God. His depraved nature is such 
that he cannot return and satisfy Divine justice ; 
he must depend wholly upon the Divine plan of 
salvation. But, remember this was not so orig- 
inally, for in this state he was perfectly free ; but 
since he violated God's law, and had become an 
outcast, why he only can act now in a way to 
procure eternal life, or death. 

There was a time when he could have obeyed 
the command of God, but "Since the law came 
sins revived and,he died." Now he must believe 
and live up to the plan of salvation; by the 
grace of God he can be saved. Admitting the 
above to be true, let us give a moment's exam- 
ination to 

HAEMONY OF FEEE WILL WITH FOEEOEDINATION. 

Remember that God made man free, and pre- 
ordained that if man would break the law that 
justice would prosecute or punish the offender. 
This justice did, and we may here add, is still 
doing in another respect; hence, to save man, 
i. e., the whole race from perishing for all time 
to come, Christ died and satisfied Divine justice 
to the extent of man's repentance and belief; 
i. e. , to say, if man obey now to the possible ex- 



144 



Free Will. 



tent, he can be saved. He can repent and he 
can believe on the plan of salvation, for, ''Sal- 
vation has come near all men," and the thunder- 
ing sounds reach the highest hill and lowest val- 
ley, "Whosoever will, may come." 
Next comes the independence of man. 

MAN INDEPENDENT OF GOD. 

As far as we can discover, man is in one sense 
independent of Glod. The sense in which we 
refer is this: Man now is a free moral agent, 
and his free moral agency necessarily makes him 
independent. If he is not independent in some 
respects, why our argument in favor of free 
agency is of no effect , and all falls to the ground. 
A man must be free and independent, or else he 
cannot be a free agent. For instance, suppose 
a man's thoughts must have a controller and 
cannot act unless it is acted upon, would that in 
the least show up that he is independent? 

Thus we prove his independence of Grod in the 
free will or free action of man. Could any one 
suppose that a man could have a free will without 
having free action of the will, when the action 
proceeds from the free will! The free will shows 
the independence of man. If we take man in 
another sense, we find him entirely dependent. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



THE FALL OF MAN. 

By the fall of Adam is meant the loss of that 
moral, or holy, G-od-like image that man was 
originally created in, and sentenced to death 
spiritually, temporally and eternally. 

Man, our first parent, was made in the like- 
ness of his Creator; for it was said: "Let Us 
make man in Our image' 7 — that is, holy and 
happy, without sin, a moral being, with a life of 
happiness. He was placed in the garden, and at 
a certain time Deity said that of a certain fruit, 
or tree, "thou shalt not eat; the day thou eatest 
thereof thou shalt die" — that is, lose the moral 
body and be doomed to everlasting punishment. 
This was so, for when Adam did eat the forbid- 
den fruit, he violated the moral law of Deity, and 
thus died, spiritually, eternally and physically. 
Thus you see that the fall meant death — the 
effect of Adam's sins upon his posterity. 

Having stated plainly in the preceding remarks 
that the fall meant death in every sense of the 
word, we shall now turn our attention to the 
effects of the fall. To do this, as we think in- 
telligently, will require more space than we can 

Sig 10 -C T 



146 



The Fall of Man. 



spare in this article. However, we shall, at 
least, go far enough to satisfy the reader. 

Bemember, the Scriptures state the effects 
plainly, in these words: (Bom. : v, 12) "By one 
man sin entered into the world, and death by 
sin. 7 ' It follows if there had been no sin, there 
could be no death, since death came by sin — 
since by man came sin, and by sin came death. 
The death here spoken of means bodily, spiritual 
and eternal. That it means death, as above 
stated, is a scriptural fact. If it did not mean 
death, in every sense of the word, then the 
Scriptures are not true, and do not mean what 
they say. Spiritual .death: (Eph. : ii, 1) "And 
you hath he quickened, who were dead in tres- 
passes and sin." 

Any careful observer can see that the death 
here meant moral death, from the fact it reads: 
"dead in trespasses and sin." This death is not 
the bodily death, but spiritual death ; or, in other 
words, everlasting death to the soul — for when 
God withdraws himself, man is lost in darkness. 
Of course, Adam was the legal represensative of 
his race, and by his fallen state or condition, sin 
entered the world, and remained among and 
upon his children. So. the same effect the fall 
had upon Adam descends upon his children; 
thus, the children fin the fall) are doomed to a 
like punishment. 



The Fall of Man, 



147 



OPINION OF PALAGLNUS, OF AKMLNIUS, OF CALVIN. 

Palaginus' opinion is: Though, by transgres- 
sion, man exposed himself to the displeasure of 
his Maker, yet, he, nor his children, sustained 
any moral injury from disobedience, and the 
only evil suffered was the expulsion from the 
garden, and subject to hard labor; and, as far as 
death is concerned, he would have died anyway, 
from the fact he was mortal. 

The Arminian opinion is this, and we believe 
Arminius is correct: Adam was the legal head 
in every particular; he was the real representa- 
tive of his people, and, when he fell, the destiny 
of the people Avas fixed, and all after him in- 
curred the fate ; or, the same as to say, when he 
lost the moral image, and found displeasure and 
disgrace, the whole nation must surfer the con- 
sequences. 

Thus, it is seen that man is very far gone from 
original righteousness, and is of his own nature 
inclined to evil, and that continually, and that 
he has no power with grace to do anything that 
is really good or acceptable to God. 

Arminian views are held by all religious sects 
throughout the country. 

Calvin also admitted the total depravity of man, 
the same as the above, by Arminius. 



148 



The Fall of Man, 



IMPUTATION. 

Imputation in this matter means the people 
must suffer from the fall of our first parents. 
The Scriptures throw great light upon this sub- 
ject, without which we could not find our way 
out of the darkness that now lurks around. 

It states: "In Adam all die." Adam, be- 
ing head, brought disgrace upon all his follow- 
ers by his shameful act. It is like this: "If a 
man has a large estate and commits treason, his 
children with him are made to suffer the loss, or 
for the offense. Not the personal act of the 
father is charged upon the children, but his 
guilt and suffering is so strong that naturally 
they suffer the consequences of the crime." 

Achanis' crime was imputed to his children, 
and they were stoned to death on account of 
Achanis 7 sin. The Jews understood, it seems, 
the whole thing when they said: "His blood 
be on us and our children," that is, let us and 
our children be punished. The meaning of im- 
putation, we believe, is thoroughly established. 
It is said, "By one man sin came into the 
world;" as "In Adam all die, even so in Christ 
shall all be made alive." Christ is here called 
the second Adam. The whole is plain, the pos- 
terity suffers as a consequence. 



The Fall of Man. 



149 



ADAM THE EEPEE SENTATIVE OF THE RACE. 

He was the legal head of the race, in every 
sense of the word, that is, spiritually, morally 
and bodily. In him all was made, and from 
him all came, so the penalty placed on him is 
also placed on us. Of course man is, by trans- 
gression of the first, totally depraved, from the 
fact, David states, "That we are conceived in 
sin," etc. "The whole head is sick, and the 
whole heart faint." Isa. : i, 5. Paul says: 
" There is no good thing in me." Thus, it is 
plain that total depravity of man is sure by the 
fall of Adam. And there is no cure, only 
through Christ. 4 'As in Adam all die," "Even 
so in Christ shall all be made to live." The 
first Adam brought death, the second brought 
life. 



CHAPTER XV. 



RESULT OF THE FALL OF MAN. 

As to result and extent of result, much has 
been said, direct and indirect, by theologians r 
spectators and contestants. The subject in no 
mean manner, rises up before us, shuts out all 
others and clamors for recognition. Clustering 
around it hangs man's deepest interest. He 
knows that following every cause there is an 
effect. As to the cause of the fall we have noth- 
ing to do. As to the primitive state of man we 
have naught to do, but the result of the fall of 
man. The u result" is that which every one 
loods forward to, whether good or bad, bright or 
dark, beautiful and sublime or degrading and 
uncouth. He who knows the result, knows a 
great part. 

Thus we have as the result of the emancipa- 
tien of the slaves, a prosperous and intelligent 
people; result of education, polished and con- 
sistent leaders in the church and state ; study of 
the Bible — Christians and systems of theology; 
the stars and the heavens — astronomers ; culti- 
vation of the earth — corn and products to satisfy 



Result oj the Fall of Man. 151 



the human family. These are but fragments 
of the result of some careful investigation, and 
preceding causes. Therefore, we come now to 
consider 

THE RESULT OF THE FALL OF MAN. 

By "the result 77 is meant death, bodily, spirit- 
ually and eternal. This comes as a penalty for 
his disobedience, and is a fact as firm as the 
rock of ages. It is true that the Palagius and 
Socinians believe that man would have died 
whether he violated God's law or not. Paul re- 
futes this statement when he says 6 i By one man 
sin entered into the world, and death by sin." 
If death came by sin, if sin is the cause of death, 
the foundation of death, and the feeder of death, 
surely had there been no sin there could be no 
death. There must be causes for effects; there- 
fore sin is the cause and death is the effect. 

As to the meaning of death here mentioned, 
there has been a great difference of opinion. 
Some claim that the death referred to means 
spiritual death only. Such premises are not 
strong enough. While spiritual death is meant , 
death physically is meant also. 

k 'BY MAN CAME SIN, BY SIN CAME DEATH. 7 7 

That moral death is also meant, is seen when 
we refer to the following passages. "You hath 



152 



Result of the Fall of Mart. 



he quickened, who were dead in sin and tres- 
passes. 7 7 There is no doubt in my mind that 
moral death here is meant . 

While we live in an unregenerate state we live 
in death, and the quickening, is called a resur- 
rection to life. 

Where Grod is not in love, and all that bright- 
ness that constitute Him, there is night — (death) . 
"If a man keep my saying he shall never die, or 
never see death." John: viii, 51. "The wages of 
sin is death. " All sinners must be punished ; 
the penalty is* death — the soul is separated from 
God. 

The law of Grod was broken, and man must 
suffer the penalty ; and not only man originally, 
but his children and his children's children. 

THE KELATIOX OF ADAM TO HIS POSTEEITY. 

He was the legal and physiological represent- 
ative head, and when he fell his children fell 
with him. 

That he was the legal head, may be readily seen 
in the fifth chapter of Romans. He is called 
"the (model) or figure of him that was to 
come" — type. Thus: "By one came death, by 
the other, came life." The passage that reads, 
"By Adam all die," is very clear. He was the 
head and by him came death, not upon some, 
but upon all. 



Result of the Fall of Man. 153 



As to the imputation of Adam's sin to his 
posterity, there is a great difference of opinion. 
To enter into them, and discuss them at length 
is not the purpose at this point. In the fall of 
Adam, he being the legal head, causes his seed 
to suffer the consequences of his fall in a legal 
sense. 

We quote Mr. Wakefild who draws in his ar- 
gument a very beautiful illustration of the 
whole: Listen! "The other view of this sub- 
ject, and that which we believe to be in accord- 
ance with the Scriptures, is that the imputation 
of Adam's sins to his posterity is confined to its 
legal results. If a man has committed treason, 
and has thereby lost his estate, his crime is 
imputed to his children, that they with him are 
made to suffer the penalty of the offense. A 
personal act of the father is not charged upon 
the children. They suffer the legal conse- 
quence." 

DEPEAYITY OF MAN. 

The Scriptures teach the total depravity of 
man, not that every man is depraved to the 
same extent. 

Isa. : i, 5 says: "The whole herd is sick and 
the whole heart is faint." 

If this be true, there is no soundness in him, 
from the fact the whole man is here referred to. 



154 Result of the Fall of Man. 



When the heart is wrong the whole man is 
wrong. There is no good in him. 

St. Paul says: u In me (that is, in my flesh) 
dwelleth no good thing.' 7 Rom.: vii, 18. In 
Ephesians: ii, 1, he speaks of being dead in sin 
and trespasses. Therefore, man is unable to do 
anything worthy of himself. 

On the point of depravity, the Armenians 
hold, as well as the Calvinists, that man is very 
far gone. 

man's moeal condition. 

Having considered the previous points, the 
moral condition of man (properly) claims 
attention. Here we meet Palagians' and So- 
cinians' opinions again. They deny the nat- 
ural depravity of man, and hold that Adam's 
children, or seed, are as pnre as was Adam from 
the beginning of his existence, and that they are 
not affected by the fall. 

By some it is believed that all men have suf- 
fered in a very high degree. There is very little 
credence, if any, to be given them, from the 
fact that they are far from the Scriptures in 
point of truth — i. e., they fail to present the 
scriptural facts as they are given in the case. 

Our seventh article of religion presents the 
following: "Original sin standeth not in the 
following of Adam, as the Palagians do vainly 



Result oj the Fall of Man, 



155 



talk, but in the corruption of the nature of every 
man; that, naturally, it is engendered of the 
offspring of Adam, whereby man is very far 
gone from original righteousness, and his own 
nature inclined to evil, and that continually." 

A more forcible statement of man's natural 
depravity can hardly be given. 

" Taking the Calvinist and Arminian view of 
the nature of original sin. instead of a positive 
evil infused into man's nature, by a judicial act 
of God, which has been transmitted to ail of 
Adam's posterity.*' they claim that it is a priva- 
tion of the image of Grod. Where there is no 
righteousness — no smiling God — there is death. 

The subject may be argued further from its 
li extent." The extent of the fall finds almost 
another field for debate. In part, much has been 
said already as to the extent. 

We must, however, remember that there is a 
possibility for believing that there is a chance 
to conclude that the extent of the "effect " of 
the "fall of man'' covers comparatively but 
little space, and that much need not be said in 
contradiction of such an argument, from the 
fact that it is of little moment. 

Again, we might claim there is great space for 
argument, and this fact comes from the broad- 
ness of the subject. 

Let this be as it may. look at it in the bright- 



156 



Besult of the Fall of Man. 



est possible light, or from the darkest stand- 
point, and the fact remains the same, that the 
extent is worth considering, at least in a few 
brief remarks. 

From the very first appearance of sin into the 
world, man commenced and continued, on the 
downward inarch, and with such a rate of 
speed, and rampantness that caused the Al- 
mighty to call a halt on that line, even to the 
whole human family Listen ! i i God saw that 
the wickedness of man was great in the earth, 
and that every imagination of the thought of 
his heart was only evil continually," and "All 
flesh had corrupted His way upon the earth." 
(It was filled with violence.) Gen. : vi, 12-13. 

The condition of man's depravity grew darkei 
and darker, as the wheels of time rolled on. 
Fraud, idolatry, vice and degradation were, and 
are, prominent figures in all ages, and among 
all classes. 

"There are none good — no, not one," says the 
G-reat Teacher. 

The whole earth is corrupt, having been cursed. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



SOTEKOLOGT. 

Theologically speaking, the atonement means 
the suffering of Christ; i. e., death for us, or in 
other words, death in our stead. That Christ 
died for us is the main question at issue ; there- 
fore, a few scriptural illustrations will settle the 
matter. " In this, while we were yet sinners, 
Christ died for us. ' ' u As in Adam all die, even so 
in Christ shall all be alive." It is seen here that 
Christ died for us; that is, he died in our stead. 
• 4 Glod so loved the world that He gave His only 
begotten Son that whosoever belie veth in Him 
should not perish, but have everlasting life." 
The world would have no life in it, had not Crod 
given His Son to die instead of the world; thus, 
it is plain that the atonement or death — suffering 
of Christ, was and is life to us. 

" In Adam all die. ' ' As far as man is concerned 
there is no life in him only through Christ, 
' i Who gave himself as a ransom for all. " Seeing 
that the atonement in this particular is the suf- 
fering and death of Christ for man, we turn our 
attention to — 

BY WHOM WAS THE ATONEMENT MADE? 

The atonement was made by Christ. The 



158 



Soterology. 



Scriptures, the words of Grod, justify us in our 
assertion. That the atonement was made by 
Christ is plain in the following : "It is expedient 
for us that one man should die for the people, than 
that the whole nation perish not." Christ, it is 
plainly seen here, must die in the stead of the 
nations. "Who of his own self 'bore' our sins 
in his own body on the tree." 

That Christ made the atonement is as plain as 
can be. " Grod commended his love toward us 
in this, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for 
us." Not only has an atonement been made, 
but a full atonement — that is, He died for the 
world. 

Let us first remember that in the fall of Adam 
all came short of the glory of Grod ; man lost 
that blessed image and became unclean. The 
Scriptures state: " All have sinned, and come 
short of the glory of God ' ' — and subject to death. 
Since all have come short of the glory of Grod, 
and subject to death, in the fullest sense of the 
word, there is only one way that justice can be 
satisfied, and that is by the shedding of blood; 
' 'for without the shedding of blood there is no re- 
demption." Thus it is plain that blood must be 
shed for man. Remember, the blood of beasts, or 
animals, could not do, for it is said the "blood 
of heifers and bulls thou wouldst not;" since 
this is a fact, they can serve no longer; hence, 



Soterology. 



159 



as blood must be shed, and as the blood of beasts 
could not do, why Christ, the just, must die for 
the unjust. It was in the decree of Deity or 
Christ that He would die for the unjust. "For 
G-od so loved the world that He gave His only 
begotten Son to die," etc. Wrath fell on the 
Son, as He died in man's stead, and thus by His 
death man was free, or acquitted, on condition 
that he accept the plan set forth by Christ. 
Grod, it must be understood, is just , and as we 
- have said, made man for his own glory ; man 
violated the law, and it was just, that as Grod 
being just, not to allow him to escape the pun- 
ishment which was laid up for the offender. 
Justice had to be satisfied. Grod " loved the 
world" from the fact He made it for His own 
glory, and it seems that at any time when 
justice was satisfied man was again restored in 
His favor. His law He had declared, and there 
was no way that man could escape. It is true 
that Grod loved the world, still His goodness 
would not allow Him to override justice. Thus 
man now is only saved upon condition that he 
accept Christ's plans and live up to them. To- 
ward sin Glod is just as bitter today as He ever 
was — and always will be ; He never accepts sin . 

EXTENT OF THE ATONEMENT. 

It matters not how eager one may be to make 



160 



Soterology. 



a display of words ; we must accept the teach- 
ings of the Scriptures upon this subject. It 
teaches that Christ atoned for the world ; that 
His death was for all men. It can be easily 
proven when we notice the following : ' i This 
is indeed the Christ and Savior of the world." 
' ' For Grod so loved the world that he gave His 
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on 
him should not perish, but have everlasting life." 
Here Grod gave His Son for the world, not for 
some, but for all. u Behold the Lamb of Grod, 
which taketh away the sins of the world." 
u Christ died for all." These words all show 
that Christ died for the world, unless the word 
"all" means nothing ; ' ' world' 7 means people. If 
they have any meaning they mean that Christ 
suffered for " all men," and they can be saved, 
provided they accept salvation. Upon the plans 
of salvation all must cling ; if lost it will be their 
own fault, for Christ died for all. All men will 
be saved if all men believe. Man cannot be 
saved unless he believes. He is only saved on 
condition that he believe. The Scriptures teach 
• ' He that believeth not shall be damned ; but 
he that believeth shall be saved." If this is a 
fact, we can see how men can be saved upon 
their belief. This is left with man, since he is 
a free moral agent ; he can accept or refuse. It 
must be remembered that Christ died to save the 



Soterology. 161 

world, as we have just stated, providing the 
world believe; but if the world believes not, 
then the world shall be lost. Christ did not die 
to save us whether we repent or not. He says 
himself: ''Repent and believe." So Christ 
died to save all that believe. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

RESURRECTION . 

That Jesus rose from the dead cannot be dis- 
puted successfully. There were only three ways 
by which the body could have been removed : The 
first was by His enemies; secondly, by His 
friends; thirdly, by Himself, as was predicted. 
( See Matt. : xxvii,63.J Had His enemies removed 
His body they would have reproduced it when 
the disciples were speaking of His resurrection, 
to show they were not believing in the true 
Christ, and that He was a deceiver. This they 
failed to do, so they said His friends stole him 
away. Matt. : xxviii, 11-15. Examine their re- 
ports and all appear false. In the first place the 
disciples were few and had little courage ; they 

Sig 11- C T 



162 



Resurrection. 



did not as much as attend the crucifixion; they 
left Him and fled, Peter followed Him afar off. 
and, when accused of being one of His dis- 
ciples, denied. Matt. : xxvi. 56-58. Not one, 
aside from John, attended Him in the judgment 
hall. John and his mother were the only ones 
that stood by while 'Christ was being crucified. 

Moreover, it was the great festival, the pass- 
over of the Jews, and the time of full moon. 
Again, there were sixty guards, in the open air — 
certainly all of them did not fall asleep at the 
same time in the open air. Had they all been 
asleep, they could not have told how he was 
removed, whether by disciples or some one else. 
It was death to Roman soldiers to sleep on 
duty. If they had been asleep they would not 
have voluntarily confessed it. Moreover, their 
rulers would have punished or put them to 
death. This they did not do. "And, when 
they were asssembled with the elders, and had 
taken council, they gave large money unto the 
soldiers, saying, say ye, His disciples came by 
night and stole Him away while we slept. And, 
if this comes to the governor's ears, we will per- 
suade him and secure you."' Matt: xxviii, 
12-15. 

If the soldiers had believed their own report, 
they would have afterward reproached the dis- 
ciples with it. This they did not do. Xow. if 



Resurrection. 



163 



no one stole Him from the tomb He must have 
risen, as He said. John: x, 17-18. After He 
rose. He appeared at least twelve times to His 
disciples, and was seen by above five hundred 
persons at the same time. If Christ was able to 
raise Himself from the dead, certainly He can 
raise others. Thomas saw the print of the nails, 
and many others saw where His feet were nailed 
to the wood, and saw His bleeding side. When 
Christ appeared to them they took new courage 
and doubted no longer, but boldly preached that 
the very Christ that was crucified had come from 
the dead. Mark: xvi, 20; Acts: ii, 14; ix, 20; 
ii, 22-36. This shows that He was the Son of 
Grod. What He said the disciples told far and 
near. Paul lays heavy stress upon the resurrec- 
tion of Christ. I Cor. : xv, 1 to 58. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



ETERNAL LIFE. 

Theologically speaking, eternal life means to 
live with Grod forever — i. e. : have Christ. As 
Christ is eternal and life (as has been seen else- 
where), to have Christ is to have life. I John: 
v, 12: " He that hath the Son hath life, and 
he that hath not the Son hath not life." 

St. John: v, 54: 44 Who eateth my flesh and 
drinketh my blood hath eternal life, and I will 
raise him up at the last day." In the former 
we are taught that Christ is life, and to have 
Christ is to have life ; in the latter, that Christ 
is eternal life. . This is seen also in the latter. 
Rom. : vi, 23: "For the wages of sin is death, 
and the gift of Grod is eternal life." 

Death is the end of life — destruction of life. 
Christ being not obtainable, brings men into 
destruction. The beginning of this destruction 
commences here — in not accepting Christ. The 
beginning of life commences here — in accepting 
Christ. The wicked shall never lose their exist- 
ence, (such is not the strict conclusion of the 
Scriptures), but shall exist in death. "Will burn 



'Eternal Life, 



165 



np the chaff with unquenchable fire' 7 ; the fire 
here is unquenchable — shall never cease. 

If life ended here, when the body ceases, it 
would not be eternal life. When eternal life is 
referred to it means existence with Grod forever. 
Paul says : 1 i Behold I shew you a mystery ; we 
shall not all sleep, but be changed in a moment 
— in the twinkling of an eye." It is meant here 
that death is only a change. He also states that 
we shall rise at the sound of the trumpet. 

"If in this life only we have hope in Christ, 
we are of all men most miserable. But now is 
Christ risen from the dead, and become the first 
fruit of them that slept." Death is simply called 
a sleep, so we infer that we shall stand with Grod 
in the day to come. 

Eternal life is taught in the Old and New 
Testaments. Christ says: "I go to prepare a 
place for you, and where I am there ye shall 
also be." Again: "I go to the Father, but will 
come again and receive you unto myself ; where 
I am there ye shall also be." Eternal life is 
taught here as elsewhere. 

We naturally suppose that life is eternal when 
we realize the fact that the soul is the most im- 
portant part of man, and exists when matter is 
unable to even understand itself. Matter only 
moves as it is operated upon by life ; spirit was 
before matter, hence it does not seem reasonable 



166 



Eternal Life. 



that it must cease when matter ceases; it oc- 
cupies a higher state in the scale of existence. 
Again, the death and resurrection of Christ shows 
conclusively the possibility of our existence here- 
after, or eternal life. He was put to death, 
buried and rose and ascended up high. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



IMMORTALITY. 

That we are immortal — that is, the soul is, is a 
fact beyond contradiction. The Scriptures say: 
"And Grod breathed into man the breath of life 
and man became a living soul." " To-day thou 
shaft be in paradise." Speaking of the soul: 
'"Man giveth up the ghost," etc. "Into thy 
hands I commit my spirit." Enough already 
has been said to prove the- immortality of the 
soul. Now, the next question for consideration 
is this: "'Are we immortal by nature!" We 
are not immortal by nature, but by the super- 
natural power of Grod we are quickened from 
the dead. It is through the Divine power, be- 
yond man's comprehension, how we are saved. 
Nature made nothing, but was created; there- 
fore we must conclude that we are not immortal 
by nature, but through Grod. The apostles say: 
u Grod gave it a body as suits him." So it must 
be through Divine power that this operation is 
performed. 

Through Christ we received first eternal life — 
i. e. : a life of eternal joy, as we have before 



im 



Immortality. 



remarked. Through Christ we receive that life 
that shall never be subject to death any more — 
not like those who are not raised from the dead, 
but changed, and rise to become subjected to 
death no more. " Christ is the fruit of them 
that sleepeth." "I am not a God of the dead, 
but of the living." "As Christ was raised from 
the dead, so shall we be raised from the dead/' 
That is, we shall be raised unto everlasting life. 
Our bodies shall be slightly changed, and we 
shall rise to everlasting enjoyment. Thus, 
through Christ we shall rise to everlasting life. 
Here, if the word ik everlasting " means anything 
it means no end, but all time to come; thus, all 
time to come means no death — that is, we mean 
annihilation of the soul and body; but, if the 
word means death spiritually, we mean that the 
spirit, so far as pleasure and hope and everlast- 
ing enjoyment is concerned, it shall die. 

THE IMPOTENT. 

If the impotent here spoken of is to be under- 
stood in a theological sense, we at once take 
the authority to make these assertions: The 
impotent will never cease to exist, while they 
will die as far as worldly enjoyment, such as 
wealth and honor and a bright and glorious 
hope of the future, are concerned. They will 
never die in substance; the same wicked soul 



Immortality. 



169 



that lives now will live on — I mean when rolling 
ages cease to move. That they will never die 
is scriptural doctrine: "And these shall go away 
into everlasting punishment." 

The wages of sin and effect that sin has on the 
life principles within man will make it terrible 
for man/ 7 

"The wages of sin is death. 77 That is to say, 
sin when it is ended brings death. Sin, like an 
eating cancer, saps the moral principles that fix 
the future as well as the present condition of 
man. It so completely does away with the least 
spark of hope that man in such a state is re- 
garded as grass when it is cut down. The apostle 
says the wages of sin is death, etc. 



CHAPTER XX. 



THE JUDGMENT. 

Of all the Scripture subjects that we have no- 
ticed this is the most dreadful. This day is 
called the day of darkness, sorrow and shedding 
of tears, and weeping and gnashing of teeth. 
The dead must come forth. Those who have 
been sleeping, lo these many years, shall awake 
at the first sound of the trumpet. Great fear, 
a day of calamity; it is the day and year of 
jubilee. The end is come, and all men must 
stand before God and render their accounts. 
The Scriptures say : ■ ' We must all stand before 
the judgment of Christ." " For God shall bring- 
all our work into judgment." " "Whether they 
be good or evil." " The wicked shall be turned 
into hell, with all the nations that forget God." 
"Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity, I 
made you, but I know you not." "Behold! I 
come quickly, and my reward is with me to give 
every man according as his work shall be." 
These and many other sentences demonstrate 
and show to a letter what the judgment means. 
If we had no thought of the jndgment, if our 



The Judgment. 



17 



present state was such that we imagine no snch 
clay, who could not resent the force of the Script- 
ure argument in favor of such a day! We know 
that the justice of Clod must necessarily bring 
forth such a day to punish and reward. For 
it would not be just that some should 
live quietly here while others have no 
regard for themselves, and others be al- 
lowed to remain together all time to come. 
But let us see: The heathen come to be judged 
by the law of nature ; the Jews by the law of 
Moses, and the Christians by the law of Christ. 
Grod shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus 
Christ, according to the gospel. Every vain and 
idle word — every thought — shall be brought 
forth. Time, we . are sure, no one knows but 
Grod. The apostles say "The day of the Lord 
shall come as a thief in the night." "Of that 
day and hour knoweth no man; no not the 
angels of heaven.' 7 This will settle, we hope, 
speculative theories as to time, if carefully looked 
into. 

DEATH FIXES MAN 7 S DESTINY. 

Of course there is no change either for better 
or for worse after death. In this life all such 
changes must take place. Death simply fixes 
the destiny — that is, He puts on the dead-lock, 
that cannot be broken. If man die righteous, it 



172 



The Judgment. 



will be Ms to reap eternal salvation. If he die 
wicked, "His every thought shall perish." Xot 
the least thought or idea of a hope of safety 
shall ever arise from the fact the end has come, 
"He that is righteous, let him be righteous still; 
he that is wicked, let him be wicked still, for the 
end of all flesh is come before me." 

COMPLETE TRIUMPH OF THE RIGHTEOUS. 

The righteous claim triumph through Christ. 
Christ, in bringing salvation, brought eternal 
salvation and a complete triumph. "In Christ 
is our salvation." Our safety depends upon 
Christ; our triumph is through him, over death 
hell and the grave. "The righteous shall shine 
forth as the morning." "The righteous shall 
live forever." Live where? Surely not in hell, 
for that means death, or one eternal night. 
Then the phrase must mean in peace and joy 
for all time to come. Still the wicked shall 
never entirely die and go into nothing, that is be 
annihilated, but as long as Grod live they shall 
burn in fire and be tormented in the flame. 
Again, the loss of the very eternal presence of 
G-od, in the way of enjoying His goodness, 
means death. Though the wicked live forever in 
death, the righteous shall triumph by over- 
leaping oppositions and living with Grod. "He 
that hath the Son hath life." 



CHAPTER XXI. 



HEAVEN. 

Haying arrived at the point to consider the 
future place or state of the saints and the place 
of those who are there, we would say in reply to 
the above question, that "HeaYen" is a place 
for the rest and enjoyment of the righteous. 

Christ in his own words said: i4 I go to pre- 
pare a place for you, and where I am there ye 
may also be." 

This shows that Heaven is a place. "We might 
conclude that Heaven is not a place but a state, 
if we agree with some, and contradict the idea 
that it is a place. This controversy we consider 
of little importance, i. e., as to whether Heaven 
is a state or place, for it may be both a state and 
a place ; as we see the one does not exclude the 
other. The future place or state is the abode of 
the righteous and faithful ; we are sure that it is 
not contrary and beyond the power of Grod to 
arrange a place for the saints, for He can do just 
what He will. To say that HeaYen is not a place, 
we think, wou d be the same as to say the Deity 
could not make a place for the faithful and the 



171 



Heave)). 



true. Again, the Savior says: "They shall 
come from the east and the west and shall set 
down in the Kingdom, and the children of the 
Kingdom shall be thrust out." This shows fur- 
ther that it is a place, for how could they set 
down unless in a place ; there must be a place 
for the righteous; to a state there is no limi- 
tation, but Paul teaches that Christ ascended 
above all heaven. This further shows that 
Heaven is a place, hence we conclude that 
Heaven is a place of the saints and everlasting 
rest. There is no doubt but what the righteous 
will inherit that place. Again the Savior says: 
"In my Father's house there are many man- 
sions" — k 'rooms' 7 in the language of Dr. Tal- 
mage. 

WHEEE. 

This question is involved in many doubts, that 
is, as to its location. The Indians think it a place 
of fine sports or goodly hunting grounds. On 
this subject men have their doubts and beliefs 
as to where heaven is. We, from the Scriptures, 
might say that it is above us. from the fact that 
Christ ascended upward. The Prophet Elijah 
ascended up in a chariot of fire. There are many 
signs and indications in the Sacred Volume that 
seem to lean in the direction that Heaven is up- 
ward : but to say where Heaven is properly, we 



Heaven. 



175 



believe it is wherever Glodis and that it is the place 
of Grod, and He is everywhere. We are aware 
of the fact that one states that Heaven was 
measured, and found to contain so many cubits, 
etc. To say that Heaven is located in a certain 
limited place, is what we believe to be untrue, but 
that it is where Grod is. It is beyond our compre- 
hension to say exactly where Heaven is, other 
than what we have stated. We might deal in 
speculative theories on this subject, but think 
that this subject is so lofty in conception and so 
broad in comprehension, is the very cause for 
saying that our thoughts are too limited to draw 
upon such a noble question. 

We know that in that place the weary shall 
be at rest, and they will need no sunshine or 
moonlight, for the city will be lighted up with 
the gloy of Grod; Grod shall wipe away all tears 
from the eyes of the righteous. No chilly or 
chilling winds, death or sorrow shall reach that 
healthy shore. There the Lamb of G-od shall 
put on His Heavenly garments and shall feed 
those who come through great tribulations; 
there friends shall meet to part no more. The 
streets are of pure gold — most glorious to behold. 



CHAPTER XXII. 



SABBATH — INSTITUTION. 

In the study of this subject let it be remembered 
that it is an institution set apart by God. There- 
fore we should keep it holy, as God has com- 
manded us to do. "Remember the seventh day 
to keep it holy." 

The word Sabbath means religious rest. On 
this day God rested from His work. "Thus the 
heaven and the earth were finished and all the 
host of them, and on the seventh day God ended 
his work which he had made ; and God blessed 
the seventh day and sanctified it, because that 
in it he had rested from all his work which God 
created and made." God sanctified the seventh 
day because he rested on that day from all his 
work which he had made ; he commands us to 
keep the day holy. There can be no doubt but 
that the Sabbath should be observed, not only 
by some, but by all the nations of the earth. 

Among the days of the week the Sabbath 
stands out as a chief of days. This fact is indi- 
cated by its being blessed — made holy. 

When this day was set apart is not a mystery. 



Sabbath — Institution. 



177 



It took place when our first parents just started 
out on the journey of life. It was instituted for 
them. 

"The institution, however, is not only essen- 
tial to our moral and religious culture, but in 
perfect accordance with the philosophy of our 
physical constitution." Grod knew what was 
needed for man's moral and physical develop- 
ment. He knew that man must have rest, hence 
the setting apart of such a day. 

As our first parents were there when the day 
was made sacred, and as they were representa- 
tives of all the races of the world, the command 
to keep the day holy should fall with equal weight 
upon all the nations of the world. 

The day was held sacred by the children of 
Israel in the wilderness. We read, Exodus: xvi 
23 : " And he said unto them : This is that 
which the Lord has said: to-morrow is the rest of 
the Holy Sabbath unto the Lord. Look that ye 
shall see the day," etc. " And the people rested 
on the seventh day." 

The food prepared aud held over on the Sab- 
bath was kept. It did not spoil. But there 
were some who went to gather manna on the 
Sabbath (verse 27), " And it came to pass that 
there went out some of the people on the seventh 
day for to gather, and they found none, and the 
Lord said unto Moses : u How long refuse ye to 

Rig 12 -C T 



178 



Sabbath — Institution . 



obey my commandments and my laws! " See 
''For the Lord hath given yon the Sabbath, 
therefore He giveth yon on the sixth day the 
bread of two days. Abide ye every man in his 
place; let no man go out of his place on the 
seventh day." 

In this it is seen that the day is to be perpet- 
uated. 

Notwithstanding these were many years from 
creation, yet the observance of the Sabbath was 
impressed upon them. Some insisted on going 
out and gathering on the Sabbath. They went, 
but they found nothing, and that manna gath- 
ered on the sixth day was kept over until the 
seventh. So the people had something to eat 
on the Sabbath, though they gathered none on 
the Sabbath. 

The Sabbath was not just then set apart in the 
wilderness, but it was refreshed in the minds of 
the people. In the decalogue the Sabbath is 
mentioned as a day of holy rest. 

" Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 
Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work, 
but the seventh day is the day of the Lord thy 
God." 

"In it thou shalt not do any work; thou nor 
thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man servant, 
nor thy maid servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy 
stranger that is within thy gates," etc. 



Sabbath — Ins titution . 



179 



The Sabbath, according to the meaning here 
given out, is to be kept in view as a day or rest, 
not only for man, but for beast. 

The words, "Remember the Sabbath day, 77 
show that the Sabbath had been recognized 
before they came into the wilderness. So the 
argument of those who claim that the Sabbath 
was instituted in the wilderness falls to the 
ground. 

It was then an old institution, to be kept holy. 

This being the day that the Lord 'claims as his 
own, it should be kept holy. 

"It is the Sabbath of the Lord, our Grod." 
(His rest day.) 

"Every one that denleth it shall be surely 
put to death; for whosoever doeth any work 
therein, that soul shall be cut off from among 
his people." Exod. : xxxi, 14. 

This moral obligation is frequently referred to 
in the sacred Scriptures by the sacred writers. 

Isaiah: Iviii, 13-14; reads: "If thou turn away 
thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy 
pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath 
a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and 
shalt honor Him, not doing thine own ways, nor 
finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine 
own words, then shalt thou delight thyself in 
the Lord ; and I will cause thee to ride upon the 
high places of the earth, and feed thee with the 



180 



Sabbatli — Institution. 



heritage of Jacob thy father, for the mouth of 
the Lord hath spoken it." 

It is plain that the Sabbath is to be kept, 
and those who keep it shall be blessed. "They 
shall ride upon the high places," saiththe Lord, 
"and feed with the heritage of Jacob." 

Observance of the Sabbath is a moral duty, 
and he who breaks the Sabbath, becomes crimi- 
nal — a sinner in the true sense of the word. 

The Sabbath was made for man. 

By keeping the Sabbath man's health is pro- 
moted. He feels better after a day's rest. He 
is better prepared to begin anew another week's 
work. 

This is not only so with man, but true with 
beasts of burden. Careful observation has 
demonstrated this fact. 

CHANGE OF SABBATH. 

In speaking of the change of the Sabbath 
from the seventh to the first day in the week, 
there is one thing to be observed in the outset, 
and that is, that it was not only the seventh day, 
it was rest day, or day of holy rest, from the 
fact that Grod rested on that day and sancti- 
fied it. 

"He did not bless and hallow the day as the 
seventh day only, but as being the Sabbath, or 
day of holy rest. 



Sabb ath — In s t i ft i tioi i . 



181 



While, therofore, the Sabbath itself is a holy 
institution, morally binding upon all men, the 
laws which determine the time of its observance 
is purely positive, and consequently may be 
changed. But though this might be altered 
without altering the substance of the constitu- 
tion, yet it could be altered only by Divine 
authority. 

The same authority which constituted the Sab- 
bath, appointed also the day on which it was to 
be observed, and no other authority is compe- 
tent to change either the one or the other. 

Thus the change of the day of rest from the 
seventh to the first day of the week is to be ac- 
cented as ordered by Grod. 

That the Christian Sabbath has been recog- 
nized as the day of rest, set apart by Grod, will 
be seen when we examine the matter under con- 
sideration carefully. 

The . same portion of time which constituted 
the seventh day from the creation could not 
be observed in all parts of the earth. It is 
not probable, therefore, that the original law 
required more than that a seventh day, or one 
day in seven, the seventh day after six days 
of labor, should be appropriated, from what- 
ever point the hebdominal cycle might begin. 
For if more had been intended, then it would 
have been necessary to establish a rule for the 



182 



Sabbath — Institution. 



reckoning of days themselves, which has been 
different in different nations; some reckoning 
from evening to evening, and others from mid- 
night to midnight. But if we could be abso- 
lutely certain as to the mode of reckoning days 
when the Sabbath was first instituted, the dif- 
ferences of latitude and longitude would throw 
the whole into disorder ; and it is not probable 
that a universal law should have been fettered 
with that circumstantial exactness which would 
have rendered difficult and sometimes doubtful 
astronomical calculations necessary, in order to 
its being obeyed according to the intention of 
the Lawgiver." 

Hence, we conclude: That the precise time 
of the Sabbath is not essential to the institution, 
and that this may be changed by Divine author- 
ity, without making any alteration in the law of 
the Sabbath either as it stands in the second 
chapter of Grenesis or in the fourth command- 
ment. It is, therefore, as consistent with the 
nature of the institution for Christians to observe 
the first day of the week as it was for the J ews 
to observe the seventh. We are not to suppose, 
however, that every man has a right to deter- 
mine which day of the week should be his Sab- 
bath, though he should fulfil the law so far as 
to subtract the seventh part of his time from 
labor. It is ordained for public worship ; and 



Sabbath — Institution . 



183 



it is therefore necessary that it should be uni- 
formly observed by a whole community at the 
same time. The Divine legislator of the Jews 
interposed for this end by special direction, as 
to his people. The first Sabbath kept in the 
wilderness was calculated from the first day in 
which the manna fell, and with no apparent 
reference to the creation of the world. By 
apostolic authority it is now fixed to be held on 
the first day of the week, and thus one of the 
great ends for which it was established, that it 
should be a day of "holy convocation," is se- 
cured. 

Thus, in substance, the very design of the 
Lord of the Sabbath is observed. 

Moreover, the change was made by Divine 
authority, by those whose business it was i ' to 
put all things in order.' 7 

When we remember that Paul preached on the 
first day of the week, we are then impressed with 
the fact of the first day of the week being recog- 
nized as the Lord's day. 

"And upon the first of the week when the 
disciples came together to break bread Paul 
preached to them ; ready to depart on the mor- 
row, and continued his speech until midnight." 
Acts: xx, 7. 

This was the day the disciples came together 
to celebrate the Lord's supper. On the first day 



\ 



184 Sdbba th — Institution . 

of the week "the disciples came together to 
break bread." 

If they had recognized the seventh as the 
Lord's day, that day they, would have met to 
eat the Lord's supper. Paul preached on that 
day, the first day of the week. Eating of the 
Lord's supper shows that that day was recog- 
nized as the Lord's day. 

The name, Lord's Day, was used in the way 
of distinguishing the first day of the week as the 
Lord's day from the Jewish Sabbath. 

John says, " I was in the Spirit on the Lord's 
day." Rev.: i, 10. 

That the first day of the week was observed as 
the Lord's day is not a question when we con- 
sult history as to the early practice of the Chris- 
tian fathers, touching their religious worship. 

Ignatius says : ' i Let us no more Sabbathize, ' ' 
keep the Jewish Sabbath, but let us keep the 
Lord's day, on which our Lord arose." 

Irengeus, Bishop of Lyons, who lived in the 
second century, says: "On the Lord's day 
every one of us Christians keep the Sabbath." 
Dionysius says: "To-day we celebrate the 
Lord's day when we read your epistles to us." 

The day of Pentecost came on the first day of 
the week. The disciples met for sacred worship 
on the first day of the week. 

On this day the God of the Universe, as he 



Sabbat h — I) istitutio) i . 



185 



had promised, poured out the Holy Spirit upon 
them, during which time three thousand persons 
were converted and added unto the Church. 

Christ rose on the first day of the week ; there- 
fore it was styled the Lord's day. John: xx, 1, 
says : ' ' The first clay of the week ariseth Mary 
Magdalene early when it was yet dark," in speak- 
ing of the day that Christ rose from the dead. 

John: xx, 14.: "Then the same day in the 
evening, being the first day of the week, when 
the doors were shut where the disciples were 
assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and 
stood in their midst, 7 ' etc. 

There can be no doubt but that when the 
Lord's day is kept that we are obeying GTod, for 
he (Christ) is Grod in substance, and by him all 
things were made, and without him there was 
not anything made. So if he sanctified the 
first day of the week as his day there can be no 
doubt as to the propriety of celebrating that day. 

" The observance of the week as the Sabbath 
passed so speedily and so universally into the 
custom of the Christian church, and has con- 
tinued until the present time so generally through- 
out Christendom, that the practice is itself 
adequate justification, and a sufficient answer to 
all seventh day argumentation." 

This day is recognized as the Lord's day 
through the sacred Scriptures wherever mention 



186 



Sabbath — Institution . 



is made at all of the holy Sabbath in the New 
Testament, and history of the Christian church. 
It is the Christian's day to keep ; we should hold 
it sacred, for it is dear to the Christian's church. 

There should be performed no manner of 
work. 

"Thou shalt not do any work," is the imper- 
ative command. It must be kept as a day of 
sacred worship. 

The Lord sanctified the day as a day of rest. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



HELL. 

Hell is a place of punishment for the wicked ; 
there the wicked cease not from trouble and the 
weary have no rest. It is a place of endless 
punishment. '-The fire that never shall be 
quenched. " " Eternal damnation . ' ' But what 
need have we in this article to multiply words in 
order to show what hell is? It is plain that it is 
a place where the souls of the transgressors are 
eternally punished; where there is u weeping and 
gnashing of teeth/' 

The next question that strikes our attention is 

WHEEE IS HELL! 

To this we can only reply by saying, hell is 
where the damned, the outcast — those who make 
no peace with their Grod are. To locate and tell 
exactly where hell is, is beyond our ability. We 
might add that it is where (rod's goodness does 
not exist ; a place prepared for the imperfect. 
The Scriptures say: "That it is a pit — bottom- 
less pit.' 7 There the mercy of Grod never reaches. 



188 



Hell 



INTERMEDIATE STATE. 

There is no intermediate state between death 
and the judgment; hence, when a man dies heat 
once enters hell or heaven. When the wicked die 
God has no more regard for them; thus at 
once they must enter on their eternal journey 
without end; the pain shall be of a ceaseless 
nature. There is no intermediate state, from the 
fact that Christ said to the dying thief : ■ ' To-day 
thou shalt be with me in paradise. ? ' Undoubtedly 
this is heaven, for He says: u I go to prepare a 
place for you, and where I am there ye shall be 
also.' 7 In this He mentions no intermediate 
place. Again we think it absurd to conceive 
such, from the fact that it is contrary to the 
goodness of Grod to permit us to enter into rest 
only for a short time and then thrust us out — we 
mean from heaven, not the kingdom of earth. 
Again, there is no Scripture to show that an in- 
termediate state exists anywhere ; the Scriptures 
are very plain in this matter. Notwithstanding 
the Roman Catholic church earnestly recom- 
mends such a place, still there is no proof for it. 
The idea is based upon superstition. The Script- 
ures give no such place. In St. Peter we read 
that Christ preached to the prisoners, but this, 
if understood, has no reference whatever to a 
purgatory, but refers wholly to the days of Noah. 

The mere reading of the Bible, we think, is 



Hell 



189 



enough to defeat such doctrine, so we conclude 
that there is no need of going further on this 
subject. 

We are sure the Scriptures state that the 
wicked shall burn or surfer, as you may have it, 
always ; there is no end for them ; for they enter 
into eternal punishment. Upon this subject the 
Scriptures are equally plain, as on other points. 

"These shall go away into everlasting punish- 
ment." St. Paul says: k 4 They shall be punished 
with everlasting destruction ; the fire that never 
shall be quenched' ' — it is called eternal damna- 
tion. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



KEWAED AND PUNISHMENT. 

This refers only to the obedient and disobedient. 
It is a well known fact, that in nature are laws 
for our government as well as there are laws 
known among us for our mental enjoyment; 
this being a fact that no rational mind can 
doubt, it follows that if these laws, or a part of 
them are broken, the offender must suffer the pen- 
alty, whether the object is aware of what it is be- 
ing punished for or not . When birth is to be given, 
by any of nature's beings, at the appointed time 
certain developments must break forth, and if 
prohibited, death or a certain course of suffering 
follows. This shows that there is punishment 
for the violation. That there is a first cause, it 
cannot be denied. All other things take their 
existence from the First Cause, from the fact 
they could not exist themselves. If this is true, 
then who can deny that Grod is a rewarder of 
the righteous and punisher of the wicked? He 
is a rewarder of the obedient, it's plain, just as 
is shown He is a punisher of the violater. 
When a person, or any being obeys Grod and 



Reivard and Punishment. 



191 



keeps his laws, they from time to time are made 
to rejoice in their being; we undoubtedly 
acknowledge the above, if we admit that Grod is 
just. 

In punishment, it is not necessary at all times 
that the individual must bring the punishment 
on himself directly, for others can so act that 
while they surfer themselves, others also will 
suffer. We are made with two eyes, two legs, the 
horse with four legs, and worms with many; all 
this is the work of nature, as controlled and 
planned by the First Cause. While we only 
have two legs, and other beings have more, they 
suffer when one limb is dislocated or removed, 
while they have many, as much so as we who 
have two. However strong they may appear, 
they must suffer punishment, for they cannot 
get along as well without one limb as they could 
with it. From the above we conclude that evi- 
dence has been shown that in nature Grod is both 
a rewarder and punisher. 

THE GOSPEL METHOD OF SAVING- SINNEBS. 

We are saved upon the death of Christ. This 
cannot be denied by those who acknowledge 
Christ to be the Glood Shepherd, who died that 
we might live, as was predicted that He would 
come and die by the prophets of the Old Tes- 
tament Scriptures ; hence we are saved upon the 



192 



Beivard and Punishment. 



death of Christ, who made a full, perfect and 
sufficient sacrifice for the world. "He was 
wounded for our transgressions.' 7 

That the above is the only method by which 
sinners can be saved is seen when we have ex- 
amined carefully the Sacred Scriptures. In them 
we are taught to believe in the Lord, whose 
grace is sufficient for us; upon the merits of 
Christ's death the world may hang its highest 
hope. "There is no other way under heaven," 
so says the Scriptures "by which we can be 
saved." 

The gospel commands all to repent and be- 
lieve, and obey Christ's law as disclosed in the 
Scriptures. Everywhere men are taught to 
repent and come to the Bishop of our souls. 
Salvation is by faith. We are taught, "He that 
believeth and is baptized shall be saved," and 
that we are justified by faith. There is a work, 
that is, the work that proceeds from faith, that 
is essential to salvation, but not the work of the 
old Mosaic law. "Therefere being justified by 
faith, we have peace with Grocl." Heb. : xi, 1, 
and Heb.: hi, 14; Rom.: i, 16; x, 14, 17. 

Can any be saved who have never heard of 
Jesus and his teachings? Yes, if Wakefield, 
and other theologians' statements are true. We 
are taught they will be judged according to what 
they know ; they will be judged by the law of 



Reward and Punishment. 



193 



nature originally given to man as the rule of his 
conduct ; some portion of the law has been pre- 
served among them, partly by tradition and 
partly by reason ; this must be acknowledged, 
unless we make, or attempt to make the Bible 
false. There would be no need to judge a peo- 
ple who knew nothing of their Judge's great 
laws, in some form or shape; it would be wrong 
to judge and punish a people who are not 
acquainted with the moral government, at least 
to some extent. Rom. : ii, 11-15. 



Sig 13- C T 



CHAPTER XXV 



PEAYEE. 

We shall speak in short of prayer in general, 
that is. the nature of prayer, and then speak of 
the kinds of prayer. 

Prayer is a petition to Grod through faith. 
When one wishes to seek or have pardon, the 
first thing is to pray or lift up the feeble desire 
to our Grod, either in public or private. "An 
earnest desire is the very essence of prayer." — 
Wakefield. When an individual wishes aid, he 
lifts up his desire to Grod — that is prayer. To 
petition is the same as to ask. "Ask and it 
shall be given," etc. We might dedicate quite 
a space of this page to the above subject, but 
seeing that the different kinds of prayer need 
our attention we shall refer to ejaculatory prayer. 
The term is dedicated, not altogether but in 
part, to the frequent prayer offered in secret; 
private prayer. ' c When thou prayest enter into 
thy closet," etc. Family prayer, such as Abra- 
ham, Daniel and others frequently offered up. 
Public prayer is such as is offered up in public ; 
David made this kind very often. We need not 



Prayer. 



195 



say who of the prophets and disciples offered 
these kinds of prayers, for they are too numer- 
ous. They need no reference at all; suffice it to 
say the above is all the grounds needed to sus- 
tain them in the Bible. 

Prayer is effectual when the individual is in 
earnest, and with a sigh or the uplifting of an 
eye he pours out his heart to Grocl. Earnestness 
and a pure heart or a desire to have a pure heart 
renders prayer effectual. Earnest prayer with 
faith, or if you allow it faith, is the real condi- 
tion that makes prayer effectual. Suppose we 
pray and have faith, then what we pray for will 
be done. Do you suppose that it will be other- 
wise! Indeed not, unless we multiply a host of 
vain thoughts that man should not be guilty of. 

TEUE FEAYEE. 

True prayer is that earnest desire from the 
heart for anything consistent with the glory of 
God. It must be from the heart, and unless 
with a belief, that is faith still, it is not good. 
A true prayer is that with faith. "He that 
cometh to me by faith, I will in nowise cast 
out." "Ask without doubting," etc. These 
are the words of our Grocl. Prayers of this kind 
ascend unto the throne of grace and bring salva- 
tion down. 

When we ask anything of the Lord, it should 



196 



Prayer. 



be with faith, believing that whatever we ask for 
in faith we shall surely receive. True prayers 
are such as were used by the prophets in the 
days of old. By true prayers Hezekiah had 
several years added to his life. Daniel prayed 
and his prayers were answered. Christ prayed 
to the Father. The publican, not even holding 
up his head, said: "Lord be merciful unto me 
a sinner. 7 ' When this was done he went home 
justified ; his prayer had prevailed. A desire of 
the Lord, believing that it will be answered, and 
from the heart especially, when asking for some- 
thing that is needful, is sure to receive a reply. 

POWER IN PRAYER. 

There is in prayer more power than many 
even think of. If we should say that all the 
power is in prayer, we don't know that we would 
say anything wrong. To this we think every 
Christian will agree. The power of prayer is so 
great it seems that all the blessings that we re- 
ceive and the changes even in our own bodies 
are brought about with that never-failing arm — 
prayer. 

To show you that all the power possibly is in 
prayer, let us refer to what the Savior says: 
"Men ought always to pray." "When thou 
prayest enter into thy closet, and thy Father 
who seest in secret, will reward thee openly." 



Prayer 



197 



'"Ask and it shall be given; seek and ye shall 
find; knock and the door shall be opened." If 
there be no power in prayer in the way of 
obtaining blessings, why is it that our Savior so 
earnestly requested men everywhere to engage 
in prayer? "Ask and it shall be given." The 
very phrase here, "Ask and it shall be given," 
shows that there is great power in prayer. There 
is nothing that we can resort to with so much 
power as prayer. "Prayer is the Christian's 
vital breath, the Christian's native air; his 
watchword at the gate of death; he enters 
Heaven with prayer; prayer makes the darkest 
cloud withdraw, when none but God is near. 
Prayer is the sublimest thing that reaches the 
Majesty on high." Having stated as we sup- 
pose enough at present on the above subject, we 
shall now turn to the next subject which de- 
mands our attention. 

EFFECT OF PEAYEK. 

Prayers seem to have a changing effect upon 
the human mind and heart. No one can pray 
from time to time earnestly without feeling that 
a friend has come to help him to bear his bur- 
dens, for true such will be the case. It seems to 
be of a binding nature, and grows from time to 
time, just as growing material does; as the 
moral nature of man gradually gets better, his 



198 



Prayer 



physical nature grows better in some respects ; 
wherever the heart is continually petitioning our 
Grod for his renewing aid, from time to time, 
earnestness seems to fix it in our hearts, and 
soon a compelling force begins to operate that 
has a tendency to improve upon our person — 
the whole nature by prayer is changed. Prayer 
excites within us a knowledge that makes us 
feel our dependence and the need of Christ ; it 
awakens a holy desire within us. 

We might ask of what benefit it is to us when 
we desire to become farmers, shoemakers, car- 
penters or follow any other profession in life? 
By watching and waiting we find in the end big 
results follow, even by imitating others and 
watching them. So in this sense, if in no other 7 
prayer is of great benefit to man. The prayers 
that we offer in earnest seem to take hold on 
man. At one time an individual was praying, 
and while it seemed that she was absorbed, 
others were caught with such power, fell under 
the influence, and rose praising God. Daniel 
prayed so that he seemed to arouse those around 
him. Paul prayed so that the heathen prison 
doors were opened and the keeper aroused, who 
at once being frightened attempted to slay him- 
self. The prayers of the righteous avail much. 
We are benefited sometimes by the mere 
formula of prayer. 



Prayer. 



199 



The Bible teaches that men are weak and 
needy and should pray from time to time. i 'Men 
ought always to pray." u Pray that ye enter 
not into temptation." "Pray that your flight 
be not in the winter." It matters not what you 
need in the limits of sense and reason, u Ask 
and it shall be given," " Seek and ye shall 
find." As we have stated the benefits derived 
from prayer elsewhere, we will notice 

THE ATTITUDE. 

Judging between the two positions or attitudes 
in which persons should be, the most appropriate 
is kneeling. Christ kneeled. Daniel kneeled. 
We should not infer that because we see Christ 
kneeling that he prayed no other way, for he 
prayed on the cross. The thief also prayed on 
the cross. 4; But when thou prayest enter thy 
chamber or closet and pray to thy Father in 
secret and he will reward you openly." Kneel- 
ing seems to show humbleness, total dependence 
on Grod. This method has been practiced so 
much until it looks ridiculous when we see one 
sitting, Grod can hear and will hear, it matters 
not how we are, if we are in earnest; but we 
think when the surroundings will allow, prayers 
should be made kneeling; this imitates Christ. 

PKAYEB EXPLAINED. 

Prayer is the desire of the soul expressed in 



200 



Prayer 



words or in action. To be effectual it must be 
the honest, sincere desire of the soul; and its 
power will be in proportion to the intensity of 
that desire. Prayer does not induce Grod to do 
what He otherwise would not do, for if it did, it 
would prove Grod to be subject to be influenced 
in His actions ; moved to do what He would not 
otherwise do, and, therefore, changeable in His 
nature. The Bible tells us that Grod is not only 
all wise but unchangeable; and if unchangeable, 
He cannot be moved by outside influences. 
Prayer does not enable Grod to do what He other- 
wise could not do. This does not limit His 
omnipotence, only that it makes His actions 
conform to the established order of things as 
arranged by His wisdom. Grod has arranged to 
confer a larger proportion of His blessings only 
on condition that they are asked for ; and hence 
the asking is essential to the receiving. Besides, 
we are in no condition to receive until we are in 
a condition to ask. God is just and cannot for- 
give the sinner until he repents, nor grant favors 
to the rebellious until they yield to Him in sub- 
mission. Hence, the conditions of seeking 
honestly and earnestly are an absolutely necessary 
pre-requisite to receiving ; and prayer is the evi- 
dence and expression of those seeking. Prayer, 
therefore, is needed on our part and not on 
Grod's part. 



CHAPTER XX VI. 

SACKAMENTS. 

That Christianity has always recognized such 
institutions, has long since been seen. 

The word sacrament is from sacramentum, a 
Latin word which means a solemn oath. In the 
Greek it is mysterion, a mystery, a secret, until 
revealed. These institutions, baptism and the 
Lord's supper, hold a prominent place in the 
Christian Church. 

DIFFEKENT VIEWS OF. 

The Roman Catholic church acknowledges 
seven sacraments. They have five more than 
the Protestants. While they are not sacraments 
save two, yet they are regarded as such by them. 
The two held by Protestants to be carried out, 
are baptism and the Lord's supper, but the 
Church of Rome has added confirmation, pen- 
ance, orders, matrimony and extreme unction. 
Not one of these are mentioned in the Scriptures 
as worthy of record among the sacraments. They 
may be ranked among the other superstitions of 
the Church of Rome. 



202 



Sacraments. 



Socinians believe that the sacraments are no 
more worthy than any other Christian rites. 
They are peculiar, however, as to their emblem, 
by which they represent spiritual and invisible 
things. They are reminders of past events. 
They are used to keep in mind pious sentiments. 
They are badges of Christian profession. 

THE PROTESTANT 8 ' BELIEF. 

They believe that the sacraments are not only 
badges of Christian profession, but a seal and a 
sign of the covenant of grace, and they bring to 
us blessings of Christ's gospel, which if rejected 
would render untold harm in the plan of man's 
salvation. In one of our articles of religion the 
belief of the Protestants are set forth thus: 
" Sacraments ordained of Christ are not only 
badges or tokens of Christian men's profession, 
but rather they are certain signs of grace and 
G-od's good will toward us, by the which he doth 
work invisibly in us, and doth not only quicken, 
but also strengthen and confirm our faith in 
him." 

The sacraments held by the Protestants were 
instituted by Christ himself. He ordained the 
supper, at the close of the passover, when he 
took bread and blessed it, and said: " As often 
as ye eat, ye do show the Lord's death," etc. 
"This," said He, "do in remembrance of me." 



Sacraments. 



203 



And, to His disciples He said: "Go, baptizing 
them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy 
Ghost." 

They are signs. They are emblems of eternal 
spiritual grace. The water impresses us with 
the fact of our uncleanliness and depravity of 
our nature, to be cleansed at the Fountain of 
Grace. Christ's death for us is brought before 
us. 

They are seals of the covenant made between 
Christ and man. By this we exhibit our faith in 
God as our Father, showing thereby our confi- 
dence in His mercy. 



CHAPTER XXVII , 

THE LOKD'S SUPPER. 

On this subject we shall be a little brief, and 
adhere as strictly as possible to the Scripture 
teachings. Bread and wine used sacramentally 
is called, in a religious sense, the Lord's Sup- 
per. It is so called because Christ himself in- 
stituted it. In the Christian religion there is 
nothing of more importance. All Christian de- 
nominations claim the administering of the 
bread and wine, the Supper of the Lord. 
Christ instituted it, and commands others to do 
likewise; "Do this as often as ye shall in 
remembrance of me," etc. It is a seal of the 
covenant made between Christ and man ; that 
Christ instituted the Lord's Supper is a settled 
fact; should any doubt it, we most respectfully 
refer them to the words of our Lord. When He 
and His disciples were at the table, He said to 
them: "Take, eat this My body which is 
broken for you; this do in remembrance of me." 
After the same manner He took the cup, when 
He had supped, saying, "this cup is the New 
Testament in my blood; this do ye as often as 



The Lord 1 s Supper. 



205 



ye drink in remembrance of me." There is no 
further proof needed, when proof is multiplied 
as in the above in regard to facts. Hence, we 
conclude by saying the Supper of the Lord is a 
Divine ordinance which Christ set up to be car- 
ried on by Christians. 

CORRESPONDS WITH THE JEWISH PASSOVER. 

The Lord's Supper corresponds with the 
Jewish Passover. The Jewish Passover re- 
freshed the minds of the people — how miracu- 
lously did our God deliver them from Egypt, 
and they renewed their covenant with Him; 
how He will be their Grod and they His people. 
When we eat the bread and drink the wine, our 
minds are refreshed and stroll back and think 
on Him who suffered for us. It shows how our 
redemption has been secured by his precious 
death. Who can assemble around the table 
with a clean heart, where the body and blood of 
Christ is, unless being deeply impressed that he 
is our Savior? By His death we are healed. In 
a strict and true sense of the word, Christ is our 
passover; we feast on Him, that is His body 
and blood. Having as we think considered the 
above facts, our attention must now be turned to 
the proper persons to partake of this sacrament, 
according to the Bible. 



206 



The Lord's Supper. 



THOSE WHO HAVE THE EIGHT TO PARTAKE OF 
THIS SUPPEB. 

We state, and we think correctly too, that 
those who have repented and are baptized, and 
have united with the Christian church, are 
proper persons, and have the right to commune. 
Christ stated to his disciples to take and divide 
among themselves, that is among those who are 
his followers. Those who claim to know nothing 
of him in the pardoning of their sins should not 
partake; that is, we mean those who have never 
repented of their sins. If individuals repent 
and are in love and charity with their neighbors 
and have faith in Grod, they should take the 
supper, for all they are commanded to do is 
done. They are simply required to repent and 
believe. When this is done nothing more can 
be expected of them ; hence, we would say they 
have a perfect right to commune, from the fact 
the disciples ate before they ever tasted of 
Christ 7 s shed blood and broken body — we mean 
in a spiritual sense — before they received the 
gift of the Holy Grhost. Speaking to his dis- 
ciples, the founder of the Christian church, and 
those who might unite, He said: u As often as 
ye eat, ye do show forth my death and suffering 
until I come again. 7 ' 



The Lord's Supper. 



207 



TKANSUBSTANTIATIOX. 

Transubstantiation teaches that the words 
••'This is My blood," must be understood in a 
literal sense; that when the words were spoken, 
Christ changed the wine and blood into His own 
body, and gave the disciples His own body and 
blood, and that the priest, by saying the above 
words with good intention, has the power of 
changing the bread and wine into the body and 
blood of Christ, which, when administered by a 
priest, has the power to intercede for the sins 
of the living and the dead. 

COXSUBSTAXTIATIOX. 

Having stated the facts above, we shall now 
see what is meant by con substantiation. In this 
we don't know that we could do better than to 
state the above in Mr. Wakefield's words: "The 
theory was adopted by Luther respecting the 
presence of Christ in the Lord's supper. He 
denied that the elements were changed by con- 
secration, and, therefore, the bread and wine re- 
mained the same, but with them the body and 
blood of Christ were . really present in the sacra- 
ment and were really received by the communi- 
cants, (that is, literally received). Mr. Carroi- 
stoclt, a professor with Luther, taught that the 
bread and wine in the Lord's supper are the 
signs of Christ's absent body and blood of 



208 



The Lord's Supper. 



Christ ; that when Jesus used the words He em- 
ployed or used figurative language." 

UBIQUITY. 

Theologically speaking, it means the spiritual 
body of Christ everywhere; his good equally 
distributed in all parts, at the 'same time, doing 
good for the souls and bodies of men. The word 
ubiquity is from il ubigo" in Latin, which means 
everywhere; hence, by this the glorious knowl- 
edge that Christ is everywhere, even in all of us, 
doing what he knows will promote our souls to 
joy and goodness. They have the keys of the 
Kingdom, and at any time are permitted to enter 
the storehouse of knowledge and reap a glorious 
reward. Again, it makes the communicant feel 
that he has a strong arm upon which to rest 
himself even in the hour of adversity. None 
should fail to commune who have repented and 
are in love and charity with their neighbor. 

SAVING ORDINANCE . 

We are sure those who eat and drink at the 
table are greatly benefited by so doing — going to 
the table and there communing. It refreshes 
their minds and brings again that sense of the 
suffering and death of Christ for man, which has 
a tendency to encourage man to press forward, 
onward and upward until he reaches the golden 



The Lord's Supper. 



209 



shores of eternal rest. Our actions on the sub- 
ject, by partaking of the sacrament of the Lord, 
bring peace and gladness to our hearts. 

PAKTICULAK BENEFITS DEKIVED FROM IT. 

The bread is the body of Christ and the wine 
is his shed blood, hence to eat and drink is to 
eat the body of Christ. By doing so every nerve 
in the Christian faith is strengthened. The sup- 
per to the moral man is as sacred and has the 
same effects that food has upon our bodies; 
certainly this is of great benefit. So at once it 
is seen that Christ adopts his own body and be- 
comes food for the hungry. The weak are made 
strong, yea, new vigor is placed in the soul. It 
is said the wicked eat and drink " damnation " 
when they partake; if this be true, the right- 
eous drink and eat ^ 'life everlasting." For 
" He that eateth of my body and drinketh my 
blood, hath eternal life in him.' 7 In them is a 
well of water growing to the honor and glory of 
Him that liveth. 



Sig J4-C T 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 



BAPTISM. 

Baptism is a religious rite, that is a sacrament, 
instituted by Grod as an initiatory right into the 
Christian church. It comes in the room of 
circumcision. In the days of Moses men were 
circumcised as an initiatory rite into the church. 
In our common acceptation of the term, it is as 
we have stated, a sacrament — an application of 
water to the person as a religious rite. Webster 
says it is an application of water to the body or 
person, etc. 

SIGNIFICATION. 

Baptism signifies the purifying of an inward 
conscience. Christ said to His disciples: "Glo 
ye into all the world and teach all nations, 
baptizing them," etc. "He that believeth and 
is baptized shall be saved." "Repent," says 
the apostle, "every one of you and be baptized." 
It signifies the washing of an inward spirit . It 
shows that the individual is not only ready to 
become a Christian with all the grandeur that 
this sacrament can confer upon him, but that 



Baptism. 



211 



Ms soul or heart is now a fit subject for Christ 
Jesus, and he is willing to do what she or he can 
for Jesus. 

PKOPEE MODE. 

Truthfully we can say we are on the very 
point that has caused much dispute in the 
Christian church, however, we shall state what 
we believe according to the Scriptures to be the 
true mode of baptism. The mode of baptism 
undoubtedly is the application of water to the 
body. The Scriptures, we are sure, make the 
matter as plain as can be; for instance, "I in- 
deed baptize you with water, but He that cometh 
after me, the latchets of whose shoes I am not 
worthy to bear, He shall baptize you with fire 
and the Holy Ghost." The Holy Grhost, as all 
well know, comes down, for the Scriptures say a 
dove was seen, that is, the spirit in the shape of 
a dove descended. Peter says: " As I began 
to speak the spirit fell on them as on us at the 
beginning; then remembered I the word, how 
that he says, c John indeed baptized with water, 
but ye shall be baptized with fire and the Holy 
Grhost.' " Now if the spirit descending upon 
humanity is called baptism, why nothing in the 
shape of immersion can take its place, and 
sprinkling or pouring the water is the correct 
mode of baptism. Again, the very words, with 



212 



Baptism. 



water, shows that the water is the element, and 
the man or party the subject. To pnt the man 
under the water or apply him to the water, some 
think, would be baptizing the water with man, 
instead of the man with the water; hence, to 
baptize water with man, as they have it, is 
entirely contrary to the Scriptures. The Greek 
word baptize is from the root bapto, which, 
according to the lexicographers, means wash, 
sprinkle or pour. 

We might go on to multiply sayings of the 
lexicographers, but we think it is unnecessary, 
and conclude by saying baptism, that is the 
mode, is according to the Scriptures, sprinkling 
or pouring, for the word "with," means to 
handle. We think either of the above, if per- 
formed by a true minister, is a true mode of 
baptism, that is sprinkling or pouring. 

All believers in Christ are proper subjects for 
baptism. " Gro ye into all the world," etc. 
" Baptize." That all believers are proper sub- 
jects will be understood when we read the story 
of Phillip and the eunuch. On his mere belief 
Phillip baptized him. 

INFANT BAPTISM. 

Children, or infant baptism is proven, as we 
may first state, when we understand that they 
are members of the covenant, or the old Abra- 



Baptism. 



213 



liamic church. This- covenant has never been 
broken, for Christ came not to do away with the 
law but to fulfil; hence, if this be a fact, the 
Church, the Christian church, is simply the con- 
tinuation of the old Abrahamic church, or what 
we may call, just improved. That infants were 
admitted into the old Jewish church by being 
circumcised needs no proof other than the sacred 
Scriptures. 

U I will establish my covenant between me and 
thee and thy seed after thee." "And in thy 
seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. ' 7 
Can we infer that the children were omitted in 
the covenant! Indeed not, for "thy seed" is 
plainly stated. There need not be the least doubt 
as to the truth of the matter; hence, as children 
have never heen shut out of the church, they are 
still members, and are entitled to the benefits as 
much so as old people. They were admitted 
by circumcision ; as circumcision has given away 
before, and for baptism, children or infants still 
have claim on the church and should be bap- 
tized. Again, children must be taught as well 
as old people. Belief is not required of them, 
from the fact they are not able to have faith. If 
we infer that they are lost because they have no 
faith, would it not be an act of cruelty in our 
(rod to punish those who are unable to even 
think of him? Can we think so! Indeed not ; 



214: Baptism. 

they are saved and members of the Church, for 
Christ states: ''For of such are the Kingdom of 
Heaven." Xow, if such are the Kingdom of 
Heaven, how can they be lost when they have 
not faith? If they are fit subjects for the king- 
dom, why is it that they are not fit subjects for 
baptism? Christ states they are fit subjects when 
He says: "For of such are the Kingdom of 
Heaven. ' 7 Again, we might argue that they are 
entitled to Christian baptism, as much so as the 
children were admitted to the church in the days 
of the prophets by circumcision. The children 
of believing parents were admitted by circum- 
cision in those days to the Church, and we see 
no change in the intention and spirit of the 
Church, only it now calls for the world, and in 
those days the Jews were said to be the only 
people that were called. Again, the children 
believe as the parents believe — as soon as able. 
This is shown every day around us : we need not 
go into speculation to show this. Children who 
never saw Washington, Newton, Byron and other 
great men, believe such, because their parents 
believe and teach it. They believe just as their 
parents on all national or religious subjects, 
hence they are fit subjects because their parents 
are believers in Christ and this is a Christian 
world. 



Baptism. 



215 



SAVING ORDINANCE. 

According to our belief, we must say that 
baptism can save no one : it only initiates a per- 
son into the visible Church. It is simply a sign 
of the purity of an inward heart. If water could 
save, why everybody baptized would be saved, 
and that would be all that is necessary. It 
simply shows that the "old man"' or satan is no 
more the leader and controller of an individual. 
It is a seal of the covenant that Christ made 
with his people. If water baptism saved, why 
none but those who are baptized can be saved: 
hence all are lost who are not baptized. But 
here let us say. that it being the door into the 
Christian church, this is as far as its saving 
power goes; otherwise it has none. 

SHOULD BAPTISM PRECEDE ADMISSION TO THE 
LORD'S SUPPER f 

Indeed it should. To think otherwise, we 
think, with the intention of doing it, is vain, for 
none should commune but those who are Chris- 
tians, and have been initiated into the fold. Be- 
fore Christ communed He was baptized, and if 
we mistake not the disciples also were circum- 
cised before they took the Lord's supper. We 
mean they were admitted to the Church by cir- 
cumcision. 



216 



Baptism. 



HOW JESUS WAS BAPTIZED. 

We at once state that Jesus was baptized 
standing up. This may be inferred when we 
understand that John was baptizing with water. 
We judge, as the Bible is silent as to the man- 
ner, He was baptized — that is, poured or 
sprinkled like the others John was baptizing. 
"And came straightway up from the water," so 
state the Scriptures ; hence He must have been 
knee-deep, or maybe waist-deep. Who knows? 
And was there baptized as others were — with 
water. The water was applied to him. We are 
sure no other mode or manner has been stated 
by the sacred Scriptures, it matters not what 
speculative theories may be to the contrary. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 



CONVEKSION. 

CoNVEKSiON is the result of true repentance — that 
is, a complete change of the mind to a historical 
and real belief of the doctrine of Christ. We 
cannot say, like some, that regeneration and 
conversion are not in any way connected, for 
both, when viewed in the true light, mean the 
very same thing; regenerate means to renew, 
and convert means to change, hence we would 
say the latter refers to the mind and will of man. 
U A man can will to believe. The mind changes 
from exercising and reasoning on bad principles 
and chooses good. Conversion is simply a 
change of mind and heart, a belief in God, or 
faith with grace. Where the grace of G-od is, 
it is called justification, or the man justified. 
It seems to be a state between repentance and 
regeneration; when a man repents he is then 
converted; primarily speaking, if he believes. 
Remember, he can believe and then not be 
justified, but he can't be justified unless he is 
converted. The free will of man is to clo the 
changing. See " Except ye be converted and 



218 



Conversion. 



be healed, ye shall in no wise see the Kingdom 
of God.' 7 

Conversion, or a change of the mind in a 
primary sense, takes place first. From this fact 
a man must change his mind before the body or 
the moral nature can be affected. The mind or 
will is the first cause, and the effects are the suc- 
ceeding change. To say a man is regenerated 
or justified before his mind is changed we think 
would be worse than absurd. The mind is the 
first to move and brings the whole man into a 
moral change. True repentance, in one sense, 
may justly be called conversion, from the fact 
the will of man in this case first acts upon his 
nature. It is true, however, in a higher sense; 
when a man is converted he is also born of G-od, 
regenerated and justified; but in a primary sense, 
conversion or a change in the mind comes first. 

THE MORAL CONDITION OF THE MAN WHO HAS BEEN 
CONVERTED, JUSTIFIED AND REGENERATED. 

Taken altogether, they change the moral prin- 
ciples of a man from that of wickedness to holi- 
ness. The moral man undergoes an entire 
change, and is, in other words, a new creature. 
"If any man be in Christ he is a new creature." 
II Cor.: v, 17: "And ye put on the new man 
Christ." "My little children of whom I travail 
in birth again until Christ be formed in you." 



Conversion. 



219 



These and many other passages prove the as- 
sertion true, when we say the moral nature is 
formed anew. 

Man's justification is due, and only comes by 
the death of Christ. Christ is the meritorious 
cause ; had it not been for Him no good could 
possibly come in the way of justification. In 
and by the atonement men are justified. We 
are justified by faitb, and without faith we can- 
not be justified. "He that believeth on Him is 
not condemned." "Therefore, being justified 
by faith, we have peace with Grod." "Believe 
on the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and thou 
shalt be saved." These and many other pas- 
sages show that man is justified by faith. If 
faith is not the condition upon which men are 
justified, there is none other. Some may say 
that work is the fruit of justification. This is 
admitted, but does not change the above. We 
do claim that man is justified by faith ; and that 
if work is admitted, it is evangelical work — that 
is, the work of the Spirit, "For it is the Spirit 
that works in you." Men of ancient days were 
justified by work ; still this was in part, if not 
all, the product of the foregone faith. We can't 
see how a man can work to do any good or in- 
voke the Deity, unless there is faith. If this is 
a fact, the whole thing must be attributed to 
faith. Faith is the big wheel in the foundry of 



220 



Conversion. 



God that starts the little wheels moving. 4 'Work 
without faith is dead." The work by which 
men are justified is the work that succeeds faith. 
For without a strong, unerring belief in the 
plan of salvation, no good can be accomplished. 
Salvation is sure. It is sure from this stand- 
point, if no more, when converted his moral 
nature is made so that his spiritual will has the 
entire control over it, and if he will only go on 
to perfection, or true holiness, all is well. But 
before we could say that his salvation is sure, 
we would have to do away with the freedom of 
the will of man and say that Grod will just com- 
pel him to be saved; but if we admit the free 
action of man, we undoubtedly must admit that 
he can be saved. 

We cannot claim that his eternal salvation is 
sure, for that would set the whole plan of salva- 
tion in a bad light, if there is anything in the free 
action of the will. His salvation is sure if he will 
keep the faith^but the trouble is, he may lose the 
faith; he may put his " Lord's money away, 77 
and not improve on it, and when the Master 
comes he may say: u I was afraid and went 
and hid Thy money, 77 etc. If he stands fast in 
the liberty where Christ has set him free, as he 
is able to do, after justification, his salvation is 
sure, for Christ said : ' ; Whosoever the Son sets 
free is free indeed. 77 Again the Scriptures say, 



Conversion. 



221 



" He that holds out shall be saved." The infer- 
ence is, if we hold not out we shall be damned. 
There is no need of saying to a band of soldiers 
to fight on if you know they will fight without 
it. You say fight on in order that they may be 
encouraged and not stop. So everywhere the 
justified are ordered to press forward, until they 
reach the crown, for none but the pure in heart 
— those who hold out to the end— can be saved. 



CHAPTER XXX. 



JUSTIFICATION. 

Justification, as our translator uses the term, is 
simply an act of grace; that is, Grod's free grace, 
by which the sinner is made to know that he is 
adopted in the family of Christ; or in other 
words, it is the act of Glod pardoning the sinner 
of his sins. 

The justified sinner is made an heir of Grod, 
and the grace is the seal by which he knows he 
is forgiven of all sins; that is, original sins. 
This is brought wholly about through and by 
the death of Christ for the sinner ; his relation 
to his Maker is changed and peace is restored. 
" Therefore, being justified by faith, we have 
peace with God." No more at war with our 
Maker, but we are His own. 

Justification, regeneration and conversion are 
almost synonymous terms, when understood in 
one light, for all mean to pardon and renew. 
^This man went down to his house justified 
rather than the other." In this sense, as we 
have just stated, it means to pardon, and is 
what some theologians would call legal pardon. 



Justification. 



223 



ARMENIANS 7 VIEW OF JUSTIFICATION. 

u Arminians think that sinners are counted 
righteous through the obedience of Christ, 
and that the righteousness of Christ is the 
only meritorious cause, on account of which 
Grod pardons the sins of believers and records 
them as righteous as if they had perfectly 
obeyed the law. But since Christ imputes the 
righteousness of Christ to none except believers, 
we conclude that in this sense it may be well 
and properly said, to a man who believes faith 
is imputed for righteousness through grace ; be- 
cause Grod has sent forth His Son Jesus Christ, 
to be a propitiation, a throne of grace (or mercy 
se^tt) through faith in His blood." 

CALVANIST VIEW OF JUSTIFICATION. 

Let it be remembered that Calvin believed 
in the election of some to eternal life; when 
this is understood, we are made to see through 
the whole matter, how they claim the following : 
u That we, as the chosen, are counted righteous 
through the obedience and righteousness of 
Christ's death. Through the obedience of 
Christ's death, righteousness is so imputed to us 
that we are counted justified." Well, the whole 
is this, that the obedience of Christ is counted 
ours, and by which we are justified. 

If the above is an uncontradicted fact, why, 



224 



Justification. 



then, man is liable to violate the Master's law, 
and sin even as before ; therefore he must be 
justified again; for every sin there must be a re- 
pentance and conversion, which precede justifi- 
cation. We think this will be thoroughly un- 
derstood when we notice the following: Our 
first parent, Adam, fell from a state of holiness. 
"To him that hath, to him shall more be given, 
to him that hath not, that even which he hath 
shall be taken away." The above means this, 
that if a man is in possession of the good and 
perfect gift from God and makes no progress, 
that which was given to him must be taken 
away. It is just like the man who received the 
Lord's money and hid it in the ground. Of 
course, before he is made anew he must be just- 
ified. Again, justification the second time is 
plain when we understand that man when justi- 
fied is not sanctified, while it precedes and leads 
to sanctification. Nevertheless it is not sanctifi- 
cation, and cannot properly be called true holi- 
ness, without which no one can see the Lord. 
Justification being the grace of God, or right- 
eousness" from God, is given only to those who 
come to Christ with true repentance, and this is 
obtained by obedience to the law of Christ. 

THEKE IS A POWER THAT JUSTIFIES. 

It is the power of God that justifies, or par- 



Justification. 



225 



dons the sinner. The judge, in a legal sense, 
pardons, or passes sentence on individuals. If 
that be a fact, why God is the judge in this mat- 
ter, therefore He must pardon; hence, his own 
power is exercised. 

That the power is from God, or of God, if so 
to speak, is as plain as can be, when we under- 
stand that man can do nothing good, from the 
fact he is the sinner and unable to free himself; 
since Christ leads or advocates his cause, the 
judge passes the sentence. "It is God that 
jnstifieth." "If any sin we have an advocate 
with God." "Lord, be merciful unto me a 
sinner." These and many other phrases show 
that God's power pardons. 

The saints of the Old Testament were justified 
by the law. Abraham's obedience was counted to 
him for righteousness. If man sinned or violated 
the law he could only be pardoned by complying 
with law. So, this makes faith the condition 
upon which we are pardoned or justified, for a 
man must have faith or believe, or he cannot 
be pardoned. So, faith, or a strong belief, is 
still the ground upon which men were justified. 
Of course, each individual, though they may 
have been heathens, knew that they had to be- 
lieve before they could act in compliance with 
the law. "Abraham believed God, and it was 
counted unto him for righteousness." This shows 

Sg 15— C T 



226 



Justification. 



that even the Old Testament saints were only 
justified by faith, for Abraham believed God, 
and upon this belief He was pardoned. "It was 
counted unto him for righteousness.' 7 "Know 
ye, therefore, that those who are of faith the same 
are the children of Abraham." This is plain, 
while it may be thought, as some have said, the 
Old Testament saints were justified by the law, 
they were justified by faith. Abraham, Noah, 
Isaac, Jacob and all the saints believed Grod. 

WITNESS OF THE SPIKIT. 

One has said, this is a privilege that all per- 
sons who are converted can enjoy — the Spirit to 
guide and teach them the fear of the Lord — and 
that when we are walking in His holy way, He, 
the Spirit, is absolutely needed to insure present 
and future salvation. (Isaiah: xxvi, 3; xxxii, 
17-18; Psalms: cxix, clxv; Romans: v, 1-5; 
John, ii, 20, 27.) It is by this Spirit that we 
know that we have passed from death unto life. 
This Spirit teaches and guides us in the way of 
all truth. 

ADOPTION. 

Aliens as we were from Grod by sin, a more 
appropriate and timely argument could not be 
even thought of than adoption. Generally 
speaking, adoption means the receiving of a per- 
son into another's family as one of the family. 



Justification. 



227 



When this is done according to the law of a 
country, it is called adoption. Many passages 
will show that those who are not in Christ are 
aliens. "Ye are of your father, the devil," and 
"the lust of your father ye will do." This 
shows that the above statements are facts. "He 
that committeth sin is of the devil." It is plain 
that we are sinners by nature — it follows, that 
unless we are born of Glod we cannot claim the 
eternal world of life. 

Before we can claim to be even a true child of 
Grod, we must be adopted in the family of Christ, 
the faithful and the just. Of course, adoption is 
the only power by which we can be transplanted 
into the company of the righteous ; when con- 
verted, regenerated, justified, we are adopted — 
that is, received in the family of Glod. 

"Ye have not received the spirit of bondage 
again to fear, but ye have received the spirit of 
adoption, whereby we cry 'Abba, Father.' The 
Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that 
we are the children of Grod." 

By the above, we see that it is very plain, even 
without further proof, that adoption means the 
receiving of the once guilty into the favor of 
God, and making him by adoption entitled to 
sonship. In this sense, when we are adopted, 
we cry "Abba, Father." Glod is our father, and 
we are His children, for the Spirit teaches and 



228 



Justification. 



guides us in the way of peace. "I will be your 
Grod, and ye shall be My people" — the same as 
to say, He is our Father and we His children. 

REGENERATION. 

Regeneration ( regeneara ) means to make anew, 
a change in the nature of things. When a per- 
son is regenerated he is made anew — that is, his 
moral nature has undergone an entire change 
and he is brought forth as a brand new man, or 
person. 

Regeneration is from the Greek word palig- 
genesia — to make anew, or the new birth ; that 
is, being born again of Grod and thereby made 
an heir of the Kingdom of our Heavenly Father. 
A man cannot be justified unless he is regener- 
ated, and he cannot be regenerated unless he is 
converted; hence, in one sense, all mean the 
very same thing — that is, to pardon and make 
anew the moral nature of man, so that he can 
serve Grod and have the things of light. In this 
act we were given dominion over all our nature, 
and can, if we will, do justice to Grod, man and 
ourselves. "Then will I sprinkle clean water 
upon you and ye shall be clean from all your 
filthiness, and from your idols will I cleanse 
you." "A new heart also will I give unto you, 
and a new spirit will I put within you." It is a 
new birth. " Except a man be born again he 



Justification. 



229 



cannot see the Kingdom of G-od." u Ye must 
be born again." "If -any man be in Christ he 
is a new creature." "Old things are passed 
away, behold all things are become new." 
Thinking the above makes plain our view con 
cerning regeneration, we deem it unnecessary to 
proceed further. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 



SANCTIFICATION. 

Sanctification is true holiness — to be entirely 
pure. The moral principle of the individual is 
dedicated to Grod and good work. 

Sanctification means true holiness, as is every- 
where taught in the sacred Scriptures. "Be ye 
holy, even as I am holy; be perfect." "Blessed 
are the pure in heart." Please tell what can 
possibly be meant by these terms, sanctification, 
etc., if they don't mean pure holiness of the 
entire man, dedicated to good work and Grodf 
All will acknowledge that what we have just 
stated is an unerring truth. It means to be 
cleansed from moral corruption. The fact is 
very plainly seen in the above. u Leaving the 
principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go 
unto perfection." Heb.: vi, 1. 

Mr. Wesley says regeneration is a part of 
sanctification. That regeneration is a part of 
sanctification is very plain, when we understand 
regeneara means to renew, not only the outer but 
the inner man, or the moral man. Sanctifica- 
tion means the purifying of the entire man, both 



Sanctification. 



231 



natures. Our outward and inward holiness be- 
gin when we are born again. 

THE RELATION OF JUSTIFICATION TO SANCTIFICA- 
TION. 

These two mentioned are very closely con- 
nected and are very hard to separate. Justifica- 
tion is the root of sanctification ; it proceeds or 
goes before sanctification, and in some respects 
is with it all the way. A man cannot be sancti- 
fied unless he is first justified; a man can be 
pardoned several times for offenses while work- 
' ing out his soul's salvation. It is almost absurd 
to think the two can be separated; they are 
almost co-equal — that is, the same thing. We 
mean to say, when a man is justified sanctifica- 
tion sets in immediately. 

COMPLETE HOLINESS POSSIBLE IN THIS LIFE. 

We argue that complete holiness is possible, 
from the following texts : God said to Abraham, 
" Walk before me and be thou perfect," Gen. : 
xvii, 1: "Be ye therefore perfect even as your 
Father which is in Heaven is perfect." These 
and many other like passages show that man 
can and should become holy. If man cannot 
attain complete holiness, then we cannot con- 
ceive what the true meaning here is. We cannot 
possibly construe this to mean anything else but 



232 



SancUfication. 



perfection. It means true holiness. "The 
blood of Jesus cleanseth from all sins.' 7 Now 
let us understand, if the blood of Jesus cleanses 
from all sins, why the very important aid is at 
hand to make of us just what we ought to be, 
and that in this life. "If we confess our sins 
He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse 
us from all unrightousness." 

Here all we have to do is to confess with our 
hearts and repent, and Grod is faithful and just 
to forgive us. Justice, His divine attribute, is 
such that, according to His goodness and truth, 
He must forgive and cleans from all unrighteous- 
ness. This must be understood to take place here ; 
thus, when we are cleansed from all unrighteous- 
ness, we are holy, for there is no sin in us. Be- 
lieving that upon this subject enough has been 
said, we conclude by saying complete holiness is 
attainable in this life. It matters not how many 
strong arguments have been put up against com- 
plete holiness, we must say unless true holiness 
is attainable in this life, no one can see the Lord. 
"Without holiness no man shall see the Lord." 
Every one who is saved must reach this state be- 
fore death. We are not able to say how long it 
must exist; however, we know that without it no 
one can see Grod. From what was said to Abra- 
ham and others, we reach this state of perfection 
here. 



Sanctification. 



233 



SAVED BY WORK. 

All are saved by work, but not work without 
faith; not the work of, or according to, the old 
Mosaic law. All work pointing in that direction 
is dead, the moral law excepted. It is the work 
of faith by which we are saved. Faith must be 
at the bottom of it, and in it; hence, it must be 
evangelical work, or work of the Spirit. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 



APO STACY. 

The philosophers and theologians have made 
broad roads for themselves in the field of reason, 
and still the matter is unsettled. That the saints 
are liable to fall so as to perish everlastingly, is a 
doctrine that we cannot deny. While strong 
arguments have been set up to the contrary, 
nevertheless it is true that such a state as total 
apostacy of the righteous, or those who are per- 
fectly holy, is possible. 

Our first argument is based on the free agency 
of man. If a man is a free agent, he can do as 
he will. While he is able to do right if he will, 
he can do otherwise. This shows that there is a 
possibility of falling away, for a free agent can 
do as he chooses. 

We next appeal to the Scriptures — the stand- 
ard, the work of Grod — for our proof of the pos- 
sibility of apostacy. We first ask was Adam 
and Eve perfect? Did they know anything about 
the holy state? All will admit that they did, and 
were perfect at first. If this is admitted, we 
next inquire, did they fall into sin? and had 



Apostacy. 



235 



they died in that state would they have been 
saved? The reply is, No! — for no sin can enter 
the Kingdom. Did Peter deny his Grod! If the 
reply is that he did, will it be admitted that he 
sinned by so doing, and that in such a state was 
he fit for the Kingdom of God! No ! No ! 

The Israelites were overthrown in the wilder- 
ness. Grod was not pleased with them. Solomon 
fell. "I am the true vine,' 7 says Christ. "My 
Father is the husbandman ; I am the vine ; ye 
are the branches. Every branch that bringeth 
not forth fruit He taketh away — men gather and 
burn them." Now, suppose we abide not — all 
depends upon our will. The branches will be 
taken away and burned. The man that hid the 
Lord's money, and put it not to exchange, was 
cast in the fire, etc. "Let him that thinketh he 
standeth take heed, lest he fall." "But when 
the righteous turneth away from his righteous- 
ness and committeth iniquity, and doeth accord- 
ing to all the abominations that the wicked man 
doeth, shall he live! All his .righteousness that 
he has done shall not be mentioned. In his tres- 
pass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that 
he hath sinned, in them shall he die." In so 
many words, the Bible declares that such a state 
is possible. The Scriptures throw light in plenty 
on this subject. No comment is needed. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 

CHRISTIAN ETHICS. 



That a perfect system of Christian Ethics is 
taught in the New Testament cannot be contra- 
dicted. In them the Grod of all the Worlds, and 
all things in them, makes known to man what 
he would that he should do. This is a revela- 
tion of the divine will ; in it we understand our 
duty both to Grod and man. (See Luke: 10, 
33-37.) The law being a spiritual one, it ex- 
tends to all mankind; it can never be broken 
or changed. Psalm xxv, 7-8 ; Prov. : xxx, 
5-6; Rev.: xxii, 18-19. Long before Moses 
secured the command from Grod on the mount 
there was in existence a moral law for the gov- 
ernment of mankind. In Abraham's clays we 
are told that some men were wicked and others 
righteous. This maybe called traditional moral 
laws; it must have been so, for when it was de- 
cided to make man it was agreed to make him 
in the image and likeness of Grocl, which con- 
sisted of holiness, truthfulness, goodness, love, 
etc. If it can be agreed upon that man was 
made in the likeness of Grod, he must have been a 



Christian Ethics. 



237 



moral being. He should be ; hence, on the outset, 
men were taught moral law. In making man in 
the likeness and image of Grod it could not be of 
physical shape, for Grod is " without body or 
parts," for He is a Spirit, and being the cause of 
all matter to exist — that is, the Maker of all, He 
must make and put into existence all things ; 
hence it can be seen that He is a Spirit. Again, 
we are taught to have no other Grod, in these 
words: "Thou shalt have no other Grod be- 
fore me, Thou shall not steal, Thou shall not 
commit adultery, Thou shalt do no murder," 
etc. Christ told a young man the same that we 
have just mentioned in the Old Testament, when 
he came and asked the Master : i ' What shall I 
do to inherit eternal life?" The commandments 
were put to him. It is written in the New Tes- 
tament as above: " Love thy neighbor as thy- 
self," etc. The New Testament contains a full 
revelation of the moral law, while the moral laws 
of the old passed into the new — i, e. : in the 
Christian code they are there in another and 
high order ; they are to be extended to the hearts 
of all men, Our thoughts and inward purpose 
of any offense is a violation of the law, which 
prohibits internal and open sins. The main prin- 
ciple that we are taught is love to Grod and man. 
When the young man asked which is the great- 
est command, Christ said unto him: "Thou 



238 



Christian Ethics. 



shalt love the Lord thy Glod with all thy soul, 
with all thy mind." This he said " is the first 
and great commandment, and the second is like 
unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy- 
self. On these two commandments hang all 
the law and the prophets." Matt. : xviii, 36-40. 
St. Paul states that love is the fulfilling of the 
law. Eom. : xiii, 10. 

Believing that we have shown that a perfect 
system of ethics is taught in the Old and New 
Testaments, we shall conclude by referring only 
to passages, with short comments where they 
differ : 

' ' In the Old it was written - an eye for an eye 
and a tooth for a tooth, 7 but I say unto you 
resist not evil, but whosoever smite thee on the 
right cheek turn to him the other also," etc. 
u Ye have heard that it has been said 'Thou 
shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy, ? 
but I say, Love thy enemies, bless them that 
curse you," etc. This, without comment, is 
enough to show that a difference exists. Christ 
did not come but to fulfil the law. 

It is written that he that believeth on Jesus 
Christ and is baptized shall be saved. Where 
men were saved by the law they are now saved 
by grace. It is by the goodness of Grod that we 
live and have our being. As the law came by 
Moses, so grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. 



Christian Ethics. 



239 



So we are no more under the law, but u under 
grace." 

We acknowledge that many more references 
could be made in this particular, yet we have 
enough before us to convince any candid mind 
that the system of morals taught in the New 
Testament is one that can be relied upon. The 
system of religion, like the system of morality, 
taught in the New Testament, is that of truth, 
love, holiness, peace, honesty and so on. This, 
like morality, is held up in the New Testament, 
and can only be called the Christian system of 
religion. The system of religion taught in the 
New Testament was founded by Christ ; hence, 
if He is perfect — His system must be perfect : 
that he is perfect a trial is needed for a favor- 
able decision. 

That the religion of Christ is the most perfect 
can be seen by glancing at the many religions 
of the world that have fallen and become noth- 
ing even in the sight of men. The Kingdom of 
Christ is to stand forever, when the religions of 
the world shall be no more. It is one of repent- 
ance toward Glod and faith in our Lord Jesus 
Christ. 

Again, we notice the religion of the Chinese, 
Hindoos, the Thugs of India, the New Zea- 
landers, who glory in war, and many others in 
murderous and cruel designs, and we cry, Give 



240 



Christian Ethics. 



us Christ of the Bible, His teachings and His 
religion. These principles are perfect — the way 
so plain that a fool and a blind man can find the 
way. 

THE CLAIMS THE NEW TESTAMENT MAKE ON 
REVELATIONS. 

That the New Testament makes or sets forth 
a claim to Divine revelation is a fact that, when 
looked into, cannot be contradicted, and must 
be admitted by all candid minds — i. e., those 
who read the sacred Scriptures. While the Old 
Testament prophets, and the writers of those 
books, when they said that a Savior would be 
born, and the government is upon His shoulders, 
the New Testament Scriptures prove their asser- 
tion true. The birth of Christ, His appearance 
among men, His death and burial is convincing 
proof that Christ did exist in person here on 
earth. The Old Testament Scriptures show up 
Christ in a spiritual form or body, but the New 
Testament shows up both spiritual and physical 
natures. Hence, where they could only claim 
His spirituality, we can and do claim, through 
Divine revelation, that we have both seen and 
felt Him, from the fact that the New Testament, 
with millions of others, testify that Christ ex- 
isted in person. Moreover, this Christ was the 
Son of Grod when here in person, and is to-day. 



Christian Ethics. 241 

Christ was not only a man, but was two natures 
in one. This may be seen very plainly when we 
consider His divinity. He had a body like a 
man — he ate, drank, felt, sorrowed and slept. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

COVENANTS. 

The Covenant of Grace is the covenant that Grod 
made with Abraham and his seed : ' ' And in thy 
seed shall the nations of the earth be blessed." 
This covenant shows that a promise of a Savior 
was made, who would bring peace. "Grace and 
truth came by Jesus Christ." 

A promise of Christ is very plainly seen in 
these passages. It did not only refer to the Jews, 
but to all the people of the world — for all the 
nations of the earth shall be blessed, which would 
include, naturally, all men who believed in Abra- 
ham's Grod. "It is an everlasting covenant." 
One that will stand all time to come with those 
who inherit the earth, and not only those who 

Rig 16 -c T 



242 



Covenants. 



inherit the earth, but will exist in the new, 
bright world. By the grace of God, or His 
divine love and power, we shall live when worlds 
shall be on fire. 

From the family of Abraham, all the nations 
of the earth shall be blessed. The Savior shall 
be of the Jews ; He shall preach the Kingdom 
of G-od to all men. Ye shall have the privilege 
and the honor of carrying the good news of the 
coming Messiah and His kingdom to all nations. 

OF WORK. 

We might embody several things in the Cov- 
enant of Work. We might here mention that it 
was understood that men were saved by work, 
and that, too, the work of the law. In the old 
Mosaic law it was taught that for every sin 
there was a penalty attached, and there were 
only particular ways by which pardon could be 
granted — i. e., on certain conditions. We un- 
derstand that the Covenant of Work is as we 
have stated above. We might include in this 
the command of circumcision of every male, 
who was to be circumcised and received into the 
Church of Grod. No child could be received or 
admitted into the congregation of the righteous 
without the work of circumcision being per- 
formed as soon as the infant was born, or when 
eight days old. St. Paul says: u And he received 



Covenants. 



243 



the sign of the circumcision, a seal of the 
righteousness of the faith which he had not yet, 
being un circumcised. ' ' 

ABKAHAMIC COVENANT. 

The covenant with Abraham, or the Abra- 
hamic Covenant was the promise of the privi- 
lege, or the possession of the " Promised Land," 
and a promise that as long as time existed they 
should be His people and He would be their 
God. The Church of God, in this instance, was 
a promise to Abraham, with all the blessings 
pertaining to it. The above are facts. Our at- 
tention will next be turned to the New Cove- 
nant. 

THE NEW COVENANT. 

Last, but not least, comes the blessed and 
most glorious of all the covenants — the Cove- 
nant with Men; with all nations of the earth. 

"Q-o, preach the gospel to every creature: he 
that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: 
he that believeth not shall be damned." 

The Covenant of work no more exists, but the 
covenant of grace ; all men can now be saved if 
they will believe. 

The seal of the old Abrahamic covenant was 
circumcision, but the seal of the new covenant 
is water baptism, and the blood of Christ and 



244 



Covenants. 



His broken body. Those who partake of these 
sacraments show that Grod is all in all, and that 
the grace of God is shed in their hearts. 

Christ says: "While thus ye follow my 
commands I am with thee even to the end of 
the world; observe all things, whatsoever I have 
commanded thee." This new covenant is both 
of grace and faith. Of course it is by grace and 
faith, both, that we are saved. 

We may not have gold or silver, bnt we have 
sinful souls and bodies that we can offer unto 
Him ; and those who come to Him by faith He 
will in no wise cast out. 

This is a broad and comprehensive plan, a 
new covenant that He has made with us, "As 
your faith, so be it unto you." As circumcision 
was the seal of the Abrahamic covenant, so is 
baptism and the supper of Christ the seal of the 
new. 



CHAPTER XXXV. 



THE DIFFERENT LAWS. 



THE CEREMONIAL LAW. 

A type , in a theological sense, is a figure or sign 
of the real. The apostles called the dispensa- 
tion a shadow of good things to come— or, in 
other words, a sign of the coming Christ. 
Again, St. Panl says: "All drink of that spiritual 
rock that followed them," and that rock was 
Christ. The high priest went into the tabernacle 
and offered up an offering for himself and the 
people. As the priest offered up an offering for 
the people, so was Christ to be offered up, for 
Paul says those things were the shadow of good 
things to come ; and Christ must atone for their 
sins, instead of the blood of animals. "But into 
the second went the high priest alone once every 
year, not without blood, which he offered for 
himself and the sins or errors of the people," 
"Which is a figure," "A pattern of things in 



The Different Laivs. 



heaven." Paul says: "He is our sweet, smiling* 
Savior, " and "The passover sacrificed for us. 77 
"He loved us, and hath given His life for us," 
(suffering in our room, or stead). 

THE MORAL LAW-. 

The moral law is binding nowaday. ''Thou 
shall not kill," " Thou shall not have any other 
G-od before me," etc. This law, Christ says, He 
did not come to do away with. Christ said to the 
young man : 4 ' Thou knowest the command- 
ments, do them," etc. This shows that He re- 
ferred to the law — the part that was binding. 

We now live under" the Christion dispensation. 
Since Christ came, we are to obey His saying 
and teaching, for He is our leader; and, more- 
over, the Mosaical law has been done away with, 
and the Savior of man leads us. "Old things 
are done away. with," say the Scriptures. 

The three great divisions of the Mosaical law 
are the moral, ceremonial and political. The Jews 
made an offering for violating either of the 
above laws. If a man was disorderly in the 
flesh, he must make an offering — that is, the 
priest did it for him. (Lev. : xv, 15.) The law 
was binding on all transgressors, and for such 
there must be an offering. It referred also to 
the ceremonial law. "The life of the flesh is in 
the blood, and I have given it to you upon the 



The Different Laws. 



247 



altar, to make an atonement for your souls, for 
it is the blood that worketh atonement." This 
is the same as a ransom for the soul. From this 
and other passages ("See the blood of bulls and 
beasts thou wouldst not"), we conclude the 
ceremonial and political laws are not binding 
nowadays. Some hold that they are binding at 
all times, and others that they are expiatory. 
We must decide with the latter. They are not 
binding nowadays, and they ceased when the 
prophetical age went out, and they were only 
intended to last for awhile — that is, the time 
being. We come to this conclusion from 
the following facts: First, it was ordered to 
the former prophets that the blood should be 
used, as well as the meat, in offerings (i. e. y 
certain meat), but in latter days the order stood 
as follows: "But the flesh, with the life thereof, 
which is the blood, thou shall not eat." You 
see that the use of blood is prohibited, from the 
fact the blood has life in it, or "is life." 

"I have given it to you to make an offering 
for your souls" — or, in other words, "I have 
given it to you upon the altar to make an atone- 
ment for your souls." The phraseology teaches 
that it was only for the time being for your souls. 
This was the end of it ; the offering seems to 
have accomplished its work. "I will even set 
my face against that soul that eateth blood." 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 



GOOD WORKS. 

The value of good works naturally calls in ques- 
tion every object of good, whether visible or in- 
visible. We begin with the good work of creation, 
the fashioning and molding and bringing into 
existence this vast monument of ours; a subject 
almost beyond man's comprehension. Rivers, 
hills, valleys, animals, fowls, and every existing 
thing or creature pictures out and brings to our 
view a perfect panorama, of which Grod is the 
manager and author. 

After we have examined the mechanism, or at 
least a part of Grod's works, we must at once de- 
cide all things work together for good. From 
the dismal clouds leaps the chastened lightning ; 
from towering hills, rivers of water; the birds of 
the forest make the heavens ring with sweet 
anthems of joy, which bring to our ears and 
sight the unerring truth that the ' ' Lord is good, 
and His mercy endureth forever." 

To say the least, we are sure that good works 
are invaluable, by the mere comprehension of 
man. Our thoughts are too feeble, our ability 



Good Works. 



249 



too limited, to grasp the infinite and handle 
with power. 

One good deed or act cannot be valued; the 
effect will never be valued. Take the atonement 
of Christ for man, and show a shrewd mathema- 
tician that can count in a million years the value 
of good he accomplished. Who can tell what 
man would have undergone had not Christ died 
for him? Who can describe the amount of good 
accomplished by His death to the extent of the 
plan of salvation, and rest and enjoyment in the 
future? 

When this and many different thoughts strike 
us upon this subject, the writer at once confesses 
that he is unable to tell the value of good works. 

SUPEREROGATION. 

It strikes us that all will say, or believe, that 
works of supererogation are impossible, from the 
fact, after we have done all we could, we are still 
unprofitable servants. There dwelleth no good 
work in us; hence, when we have done all, we 
have not done more than we are commanded to 
do. It is the duty of every individual to do what 
he can. In the matter of good works there is no 
part. It is true we often hear men say, " I have 
done my duty" ; but very seldom, "I have done 
what I could. 77 When we fail to do what we 
can, we fail to do what Christ orders us to do. 



250 



Good Works. 



The facts in this matter can be plainly exhibited 
when we look at the woman who poured the 
precious ointment on Christ's head. Hear His 
words when the murmur began to flow: u She 
has done, or wrought a good work on me." 

She has done what she could." 

To say that we can do more than we ought to 
do, and more than Christ commands us to do, is 
the same as to say, Christ only wishes, or desires 
that we do so much and no more. 

This would turn the whole plan of redemption 
into ridicule. After His death for man He still 
works and toils on, that man may see the light 
and return to Him and live. The above are 
facts that cannot be contradicted. Works of 
supererogation are impossible. We cannot do 
more than duty calls for, unless it is in the wrong 
direction. In this way many of us do more than 
our duty, but as this is not the question at issue, 
we think the above is enough for the present. 

MORTAL AND VENIAL SINS. 

When we use the words mortal sin, we mean 
the sin which is unto death and cannot be par- 
doned. It is what we call blasphemy against 
the Holy Grhost. This sin is not pardonable, 
and is what some theologians call mortal sin. 

Venial sin is that for which we may receive 



Good Works. 



251 



pardon, or be excused. Venial means excused, 
pardoned. — Webster. 

1 i There is a sin unto death and a sin that is 
not unto death." 

TRANSFERRING OF WORK. 

However difficult and perplexed seems the way 
in which we are to survey in this discourse, we 
will state briefly facts as they are presented to us. 
Our first assertion is this, that good works can 
be transferred from one to another. We argue 
the transferring of one good act to another by the 
transferring of one mean act to -another. On the 
latter subject we think nearly all will agree; the 
children are partakers of the sins of their fathers. 
"I am a jealous Ood, visiting the sins of the 
fathers upon the children." Now, if the sins of 
the fathers are visited upon the children, it is 
equally true that the good works can be trans- 
ferred from one to another. 

GRADES IN SIN. 

All sins are of equal demerit. u There is a 
sin unto death and a sin not unto death," says 
Christ. This being a fact, all sins are not of 
equal demerit; certainly not, for the sin that 
cannot be pardoned is greater than the sin for 
which man can be pardoned. Hence, the ques- 
tion as to grades of sin is already answered. 



252 



Good Works. 



Again, you may commit a sin or an act that 
we would abhor and have profound disgust for ; 
still we sin, yet it is not equal to yours. Sup- 
pose you, in your wickedness, burn a thousand 
peoples' houses, and cause the loss of many 
lives, is it possible that you commit no bigger 
sin than the one who, in his humbleness, would 
not harm any? Indeed, yours would be the 
greater. While we sin, we sin not at all times 
willingly, that is knowingly. We are sinners by 
nature. Several things might be embodied in 
this article, but owing to what is before us, we 
must turn our attention to mortal sins and venial 
sins. (See above.) 

Those who are Christians are in a changed 
state, while those not Christians are in the bonds 
of iniquity and gall of bitterness. 

The Christian goes from one degree to an- 
other. The wicked goes from bad to worse, 
unless he becomes a Christian. In man's orig- 
inal state u he is very far gone," u so there is 
no shadow of turning in him." 

CHRISTIAN MORALITY IS DIFFERENT FROM ORDI- 
NARY OR COMMON MORALITY. 

Indeed there is a vast difference. The nature 
of one is good, and the nature of the other is 
bad. Regenerate means to change, to make 
anew. So the Christian is changed, a new man, 



Good Works. 



253 



and dedicated to the work of righteousness, or 
in other words, to good works. 

The original sin in his nature is changed, and 
he is a new creature, u having put on the new 
man, Christ, let us go on to perfection." Christ 
does not only mean (when he says "marvel 
not, I say ye must be born again"), that the 
soul is the only thing to be changed. It is plain 
that He meant more than that. When He ad- 
dressed Nicodemus, He was speaking to the en- 
tire man, not to be born of the flesh nor of the 
water, but of the Spirit. The whole mechanism 
must be dedicated to Grod and good works. Be- 
fore this possibly can be done, the man must 
be changed, It is the moral man as well as the 
spiritual man that Grod speaks to. This part of 
man must be good; hence, as a man cannot be a 
Christian unless his moral nature is changed by- 
regeneration, pardoning, etc., his morals are 
better than those of the ordinary man. 

One is dedicated to Grod, and the other to 
wickedness. 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 



FORMS OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT. 



KOMAN CATHOLIC. 

Or the Church of Rome the pope is the su- 
preme head. 

The government is monarchical. 

By the pope the bishop receives his appoint- 
ment. 

The Church of Rome recognizes three orders 
of .ministry. 

The superiority or the pope arises from his 
being the bishop of the highest see — that of 
Rome, in the Church. 

The pope claims apostolic authority; his power 
is exercised throughout the church. 

The bishops are left to govern their own dio- 
ceses. 

The local Church at Rome chose the pope as 
its bishop. The pope, assisted by cardinals, 
looks after the government of the church. The 



Church Government. 



255 



cardinals make up the "congregation of prop- 
aganda/' which looks after the missionary 
work. 

The general council is presided over by the 
pope. There is no appeal from this body's de- 
cisions. 

The following is the creed held by the Church 
of Rome, which a person must accept upon be- 
coming a member: 

"I, N. N., with a firm faith believe and pro- 
fess all and every one of those things which are 
contained in that creed which the Eoman Church 
maketh use of." (Then follows the Nicene 
creed) : 

"I most steadfastly admit and embrace apos- 
tolical and ecclesiastical traditions, and all other 
observances and institutions of the same church. 

"I also admit the Holy Scriptures, according 
to that sense which our holy mother, the Church, 
has held, and does hold, to which it belongs to 
judge of the true sense and interpretation of the 
Scriptures ; neither will I ever take and interpret 
them otherwise than according to the unanimous 
consent of the fathers. 

"I also profess that there are, truly and prop- 
erly, seven sacraments of the new law, instituted 
by Jesus Christ our Lord, and necessary for the 
salvation of mankind, though not all for every 
one, to wit: Baptism, confirmation, theeuchar- 



256 



Church Go vernment. 



ist, penance, extreme unction, holy orders, mat- 
rimony ; and that they confer grace ; and that of 
these, baptism, confirmation and orders cannot 
be reiterated without sacrilege. I also receive 
and admit the received and approved ceremonies 
of the Catholic church, used in the solemn ad- 
ministration of the aforesaid sacraments. 

1 1 I embrace and receive every one of the things 
which have been defined and declared in the holy 
Council of Trent, concerning original sin and 
justification. 

"I profess, likewise, that in the mass there is 
offered to God a true, proper, and propitiatory 
sacrifice for the living and the dead; and that in 
the most holy sacrament of the eucharist there is 
truly, really, and substantially, the body and 
blood, together with the soul and divinity, of 
our Lord Jesus Christ; and that there is made a 
change of the whole substance of bread into the 
body, and of the whole substance of the wine 
into the blood, which change the Catholic church 
calls transubstantiation. I also confess that 
under each kind alone Christ is received whole 
and entire, and a true sacrament. 

' ' I firmly hold that there is a purgatory, and 
that the souls therein detained are helped by the 
suffrages of the faithful. 

" Likewise that the saints reigning with Christ 
are to be honored and invocated, and that they 



Roman Catholic. 



257 



offer up prayers to God for us; aucl that their 
relics are to be held in veneration. 

1 ' I most firmly assert that the images of Christ, 
of the Mother of G-od, and also of other saints, 
ought to be had and retained, and that due honor 
and veneration are to be given. 

U I also affirm that the power of indulgences 
was left by Christ in the Church, and that the 
use of them is most wholesome to Christian 
people. 

"I acknowledge the holy Catholic Apostolic 
Roman church for the mother and mistress of all 
churches; and I promise true obedience to the 
Bishop of Rome, successor to St. Peter, prince 
of the Apostles, and vicar of Jesus Christ." 

Then follow clauses condemnatory to all con- 
trary doctrines, and expressive of adhesion to all 
definitions of the Council of Trent. 

Since the above was adopted, the Roman 
Catholic church has promulgated as a dogma of 
faith, which it insists upon, the doctrine of the 
Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin — 
that is, that- she was conceived and born without 
the taint of original sin, which is the heritage of 
all the rest of Adam's race. 



Sg 17— C T 



CHAPTEE XXXVIII. 



PKESBYTEBIAN. 

' • A system of church government by the pres- 
byteries or association of teaching and ruling 
elders. In the Presbyterian church, the presby- 
tery is the leading judiciary; the whole care of 
the flock is committed to ministers or teaching 
elders and ruling elders; all ministers of the 
word and sacrament are on an equality; ruling 
elders, as representatives of the people, form a 
part of all ecclesiastical bodies, in which they 
have equal authority with the teaching elders; 
and a series of judicatories, rising from one an- 
other, secures to each church the watch and care 
of its appropriate judicatory, and to the whole 
body an efficient system of review and control. 
Though there may be much diversity in the 
names of the several judicatories, as well as the 
minuter details of arrangement, yet any church 
embodying the above principles is strictly a 
Presbyterian church. Presbyterians believe that 
the representative system of church government^ 
in opposition to that which is conducted by the 



Church Government. 



259 



entire ecclesiastical population, has its germ in 
the Old Testament, and that this was .a well- 
known feature of the synagogue system up to the 
time of the Savior's advent. * * * Pres- 
byterians hold that preaching the gospel, ' feed- 
ing the sheep and the lambs' of Christ, and ad- 
ministering the Christian sacraments, are the 
highest offices entrusted to Christian ministers; 
that a plurality of elders was, by divine direc- 
tion, ordained in every church; that in no in- 
stance in the New Testament do we find an 
organized congregation under the watch and care 
of a single officer; that bishop and elder are 
titles given interchangeably to the same persons, 
showing that the title of bishop in the Apostolic 
age designated the pastor or overseer of a single 
flock or church, They hold that there is but one 
commission given to the authorized ministers of 
the word and sacraments; that the ordaining 
power is manifestly represented as possessed and 
exercised by ordinary pastors, and that ordina- 
tion is performed by ' the laying on of the hands 
of the presbytery ; ' that there is not a solitary 
instance recorded in the New Testament of an 
ordination being performed by a single indi- 
vidual." 

The church officers are bishops or pastors, 
ruling elders, and deacons. The pastor is the 
spiritual teacher of the congregation. He is 



260 



Church Government. 



expected to preach the gospel in the church on 
the Lord's day, to instruct the people by occa- 
sional lectures, to superintend the catechismal 
teaching of the young, and to visit the sick and 
bereaved, and console them by spiritual counsel 
adapted to their necessities. Ruling elders are 
elected by the people as their representatives in 
the ecclesiastical courts, and to co-operate with 
the pastor in watching over the spiritual inter- 
ests of the congregation. Deacons are secular 
officers, whose duty is the care of the poor, and 
the reception and disbursement of the charities 
of the congregation. 

The ecclesiastical bodies are: I. The session, 
which is the primary court of the church, and 
consists of the pastor and ruling elders; the 
pastor presides as "moderator." All the legis- 
lative action of the church originates here, none 
of the higher bodies having the right to adopt a 
measure involving new constitutional principles 
until the will of the churches is known through 
the sessions. 

II. The presbytery, consisting of all the min- 
isters and one ruling elder from each church 
within a certain district. 

III. The synod, consisting of three or more 
presbyteries united. It is in reality a larger 
presbytery, having jurisdiction over a wider 
field. 



Presbyterian. 



261 



IV. The General Assembly, the highest ju- 
diciary in the Presbyterian church. It is con- 
stituted of an equal number of pastors and elders 
from the presbyteries. 

The doctrine of the Presbyterian Church is 
Oalvinistic — unitedly Calvinistic — so that any 
man who should avow himself Arminian, could 
not obtain ordination in the Presbyterian Church 
of either Scotland or America. The doctrines 
are clearly set forth in the Westminster Confes- 
sion of Faith, and in the " Larger and Shorter 
Catechisms" used in the Presbyterian 'Church, 
to which the reader is referred. 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 



EPISCOPAL. 

In this article we present the principles of church 
government as understood by Episcopalians. 

Episcopacy is that form of church government 
in which diocesan bishops are established as dis- 
tinct from and superior to priests and presby- 
ters." The term ''Episcopal Church" is usually 
applied to the Established Church of England 
and its branch, the Protestant Episcopal Church 
in the United States of America. These two or- 
ganizations constitute one and the same church 
in all points of faith and doctrine, and differ only 
in those points of church government which are 
required by the different political organizations 
of the countries in which they exist. The doc- 
trines of the Episcopal Church are stated in the 
thirty-nine articles to be found in the "Book of 
Common Prayer." 

Doctrinally, the Church of England claims to 
be based on the holy Scriptures, as interpreted 
by the apostles, and other ancient creeds of the 
Church that have been universally received, and 
to have kept herself aloof from all modern sys- 



Church Government. 



263 



terns of faith, whether of Calvin, Luther or 
Arminius, leaving her members free to enjoy 
their own opinions upon all points not repre- 
sented in the Scriptures as necessary to the soul's 
health, and refusing to be narrowed clown to any 
other creed or creeds other than those of the 
apostles and primitive Church, She claims, also, 
to have retained all that is essential to church 
organization in her episcopate, and, in her 
liturgy to have not only a wise and judicious 
compend of doctrine devotion, but, also, one of 
the most effectual of all possible conservative 
safeguards for the faith once delivered to the 
saints. 

The characteristic tenets of the Church of 
England, besides the fundamental doctrines of 
Trinity and redemption through the all-sufficient 
atonement once made for all by the death of 
Christ on the cross, are a regeneration of spirit- 
ual birth in baptism, in which the baptized be- 
comes a member of the Church, and a growth in 
grace by the use of the sacraments and minis- 
trations of the Church, duly administered and 
received, made efficacious by the word of Divine 
truth and the gracious influences of the Holy 
Grhost, freely given to all who duly seek and 
faithfully use them. 

The condition of man after the fall is such 
that he can do nothing acceptable to Grocl with- 



264 



Church Government. 



out prevailing grace. Grood works, though 
pleasing heaven, have no power to put away 
sin. Works of supererogation over and above 
Grod's commandments cannot be taught without 
arrogance and impiety. The Church has power 
to decree rites and ceremonies, and to decide 
the matters of faith. 

The Roman Catholic doctrines of purgatory, 
invocation of saints, and respect to relics and 
images, are rejected. Clergymen are allowed to 
many, and communion is given in both kinds. 
The number of sacraments are two: Baptism 
and the Lord's Supper. In all these doctrines 
the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United 
States agrees with the parent Church. 

As regards the system of Church government, 
the sovereign is the supreme head, with author- 
ity to convoke and prorogue convocations of 
the clergy. The sovereign also appoints the 
bishops and archbishops, by what is called a 
conge cV elire. or leave to elect, which is sent to 
the dean and chapter, naming the person chosen. 

There are two archbishops and twenty-five 
bishops. The archbishop of Canterbury is 
styled the Primate of England. He possesses 
the exclusive privilege of crowning the sover- 
eign. The province of Canterbury compre- 
hends twenty-one bishoprics, and extends over 
the greater part of the kingdom. The arch- 



Episcopal. 



265 



bishop of York is called the Primate of Eng- 
land, and has four bishoprics in his province. 

The Bishop of London, as presiding over the 
capital,' " has precedence of all others." The 
Bishop of Durham has certain prerogatives, as 
presiding over a see that constitutes a county 
palatine. The Bishop of. Winchester is third in 
dignity. The others take rank according to 
seniority of consecration. The archbishops and 
bishops (except the Bishop of Sodor and Man), 
have seats in the House of Lords, and are styled 
the spiritual lords. 

" Archbishops have the title of grace, and 
most reverend father in Grod by divine provi- 
dence. Bishops are addressed by the title of 
lord and right reverend father in Grod by divine 
permission. The former are said to be en- 
throned, the latter installed. 

" To every cathedral belong several preben- 
daries and a dean, who form the dean and chap- 
ter or council of the bishop. The next door of 
the clergy is that of archdeacons. Their num- 
ber is sixty. Their office is to reform abuses, 
and to induct into benefices. 

' ' The most numerous and laborious order of 
the clergy are the deacons, curates and rectors. 
The office of the deacon is confined to baptism, 
reading in the church, and assisting the priest 
at the communion. 



266 



( It urch Government. 



U A parson is one who lias full possession of 
all the rights of a parish church; if the great 
tithes are impropriated the priest is called a 
vicar — if not, a rector. A curate is one who is 
not instituted to the care of souls, but exercises 
the spiritual office in a parish under a rector or 
vicar." The Protestant Episcopal Churchin the 
United States differs, as we have said, from the 
Church of England, in points of government. 
The liturgy has been changed to suit the state 
of affairs in this country. 

The Union is divided into dioceses, some of 
which comprehend an entire state, and others a 
portion of a state. Each diocese is presided 
over by a bishop, and holds an annual conven- 
tion composed of the clergy and lay delegates, 
the latter elected from the parishes of the dio- 
cese. The bishop presides over the convention, 
which is the supreme authority in its own dio- 
cese. Every three years a general convention is 
held, composed of the bishops, who form the 
house of bishops, and clerical and lay delegates. 
The canons of the general convention govern the 
church throughout the United States. 

Each parish chooses its own rector, but the 
consent of the bishop is necessary to his instal- 
lation. The senior and junior wardens are 
chosn by the communicants, and the vestry by 
the parish. 



CHAPTER XL. 



CONGREGATIONAL . 

In this article the principal forms of church 
government of the Congregation alists are pre- 
sented : u The Congregationalists define a 
church to be an organization of professed "be- 
lievers statedly meeting in one place, and united 
together by a covenant of agreement mutually 
to watch over and edify each other, and for the 
maintenance of the ordinance of the gospel." 
A church, as thus understood, differs from a 
congregation, which includes all those who as- 
semble in a place of worship, non-communicants 
as well as communicants. A church also differs 
from a " society," which is a legal phrase, in- 
tended to represent those persons who are incor- 
porated by the law of the land for the purpose 
of holding and transferring property, and pro- 
viding for the expenses of the church. The 
church also differs from the " parish," which 
last is a term properly employed only to desig- 
nate territorial limits. 

u Congregationalists insist upon the compe- 
tence of each church to elect its own officers, to 



268 



Church Go vernmen t . 



regulate its own affairs, to receive or reject can- 
didates for membership, to pronounce censure 
upon any member who is guilty of impropriety • 
and that its allegiance in all these matters is due 
to Christ alone." In the administration of 
church affairs all the members have equal rights. 
Each male member of full age is entitled to vote 
on all questions appertaining to the interests of 
the society. 

The internal structure of the Congregational 
societies is of the simplest nature. Their only 
officers are pastors and deacons ; for the office of 
ruling elder was abolished about the year 1745 
— first at Plymouth, and afterwards in all the 
churches. The deacons are elected from and by 
the church members. The pastors are chosen 
by the members of the church from among 
those who are either already in the ministry and 
settled over other churches, or are recommended 
by well-known clergymen as fit to assume the 
functions of the pastorial office. In electing a 
pastor, it is usual for the " church" to nominate 
a person to the "society," and upon the concur- 
rence of the latter, to give an invitation to the 
candidate to settle. Provision for the support 
of the pastor is either made by voluntary sub- 
scription or a tax, or from the pew rents. When 
a pastor, who is selected, accepts the congrega- 
tion tendered him, he is inducted into the office 



Congregational. 



269 



by a council of ministers — being ordained by 
them, if he has never before been set apart for 
the ministry; if otherwise, simply installed. 

Each church selects a clerk, who keeps the 
records, and a committee, appointed by the 
members, examine candidates for admission, in 
connection with the pastors and deacons, and 
has a general superintendence over the interests 
of the church. 

The pastor is the moderator of the church, 
the spiritual counsellor of its members, their 
authorized teacher, and has full control over the 
pulpit, administers the ordinances of baptism 
and the Lord's supper, and performs the mar- 
riage ceremony. 

The deacons distribute the alms of the church, 
visit the sick and needy, and are the consellors 
of the minister whenever he desires the benefit 
of their advice. 

Congregationalists believe in the parity of the 
ministry, and hold that there is but one order of 
ministers. The deacons they regard as belong- 
ing to the laity. Licentiates are not ministers, 
but merely candidates for the sacred office. 
Those ministers who are employed to preach to 
churches from one year to another, without be- 
ing installed, are termed "stated supplies/' The 
terms "bishop" and "elder" are not often used 
by Congregationalists, but when they are em- 



270 



Church Go v eminent. 



ployed, they are termed merely to represent the 
pastors. 

Excommunication is enforced as the penalty 
upon those who make themselves amenable to 
church discipline by irregularities of conduct. 

The liturgy and form of worship of Congrega- 
tionalists are simple. 

The doctrines of the orthodox Congregation- 
alists are, in all essential points, the same as 
those taught in the Westminster Confession of 
1643. In other words, they are Calvinists in 
faith, believing in absolute decrees in reference 
to man's salvation. They believe in man's total 
depravity by nature, and in his eternal punish- 
ment in hell if he does not repent before death. 
They admit infant baptism, and practice it. 



CHAPTER XLL 



METHODIST. 

The Methodists think that Christ left the Church 
to be controlled and kept by the ministers, or in 
other words, by pastors and laymen. They 
think the pastors are greatly responsible for the 
workings of the Church. They suppose that 
the power of Church government was by Christ 
handed to the apostles. 

The Methodists believe that Christ intended 
the Church to be governed principally by pastors. 
They think that bishops are only chief pastors 
among them and entitled to higher honors, and 
that they are in a large measure responsible to 
G-od. Methodists make their laws at the gen- 
eral conference. 

Ministers, i. e., pastors, are the proper per- 
sons to make laws and appoint overlookers for 
the Church. This seems to us the most accurate 
and best way of controlling a Church. We do 
not think the laymen have any right whatever, 
and under no circumstances should they be con- 
sulted as authority, on matters of govern- 
ment. Christ, we think, when He told the 



272 



Church Go v eminent. 



ministers to go and preach the gospel, gave 
to them His power. They are to evangel- 
ize the world and bring men to Christ. He 
gave to Peter the keys of the kingdom, and 
when He wished, He talked with them what He 
would have them to do. 

The apostles understood just how things in 
regard to Church government should work. Paul 
was chief among the ministers in his day. It is 
very plain, we think, that the Church should be 
controlled entirely by the pastors; of course 
they ought to have rulers, or bishops, (for no 
government can run without a head), to see that 
the laws are executed. We could take up many 
pages in stating our views, but we think that the 
above will show exactly what is true. 

< <• Yor government of these societies the Wes- 
leys drew up a set of rules. The condition of 
membership was ' a desire to flee from the wrath 
to come and be saved from sin. 7 These rules 
prohibited 1 profane swearing, Sabbath-breaking, 
drunkenness, buying or selling spirituous liquors 
or drinking them, fighting, quarreling, brother 
going to law with brother, the use of many words 
in buying or selling, the buying of goods that 
had not paid the duty, the giving or taking of 
things on usury or unlawful interest, uncharit- 
able speaking, wearing of gold or costly apparel, 
laying up treasure on earth, borrowing without 



Methodist. 



273 



probability of paying, or taking up goods with- 
out the probability of paying for them.' These 
things are particularly specified, because, as the 
rules state, they were more generally practiced 
at that time. 7 ' 

In addition to these prohibitions, the members 
of the society were earnestly enjoined to observe 
the following: " The doing good of every pos- 
sible sort, and as far as possible to all men, by 
giving food to the hungry, clothing the naked, 
visiting or helping those who were sick and in 
prison ; by instructing, reproving and exhorting 
all they had any intercourse with, doing good 
especially to those who are of the household of 
faith, employing them in preference to others, 
buying of one another, helping each other in 
business, attending upon all the ordinances of 
Grod, such as public worship, the ministry of 
the word, whether read or expounded, the Sup- 
per of the Lord, family and private prayer, 
searching the Scriptures, and fasting, or ab- 
stinence. 77 

The African Methodist Episcopal church 
is, in principles of church government, the 
same as that of the Methodist Episcopal 
church. 

As to the admission of membership, we 
quote the Discipline of the A. M. E. church, 
thus: 

Sig 18- C T 



274 



Church Government. 



ADDEESS TO THE APPLICANTS. 

"Addressing the applicants for admission, the 
minister shall say: 

Dearly Beloved : You are come hither seeking 
the great privilege of union with the Church our 
Savior has purchased with His own blood. We 
rejoice in the grace of Grod vouchsafed unto you, 
in that he has called you to be his follower, and 
that thus far you have run well. You have 
heard how blessed are the privileges, and how 
solemn are the duties of membership in Christ's 
Church, and before you are fully admitted there- 
to, it i$ proper that you do here publicly renew 
your vows, confess your faith and declare your 
purpose, by answering the following questions: 

Question 1. Do you here, in the presence of 
Grod and this congregation, renew the solemn 
promise contained in the Baptismal Covenant, 
ratifying and confirming the same, and acknowl- 
edging yourself bound faithfully to observe and 
keep that covenant and all things contained 
therein? 

Answer. I do. 

Q. 2. Have you saving faith in the Lord Jesus 
Christ? 

A. I trust I have. 

Q. 3. Do you entertain friendly feelings to- 
wards all the members of this church? 
A. I do. 



Methodist. 



275 



Q. 4. Do you believe in the doctrines of Holy 
Scriptures as set forth, and in the articles of 
religion of the African Methodist Episcopal 
Church? 

A. I do. 

Q. 5. Will you cheerfully be governed by the 
Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal 
Church, hold sacred the ordinances of Gk>d, and 
endeavor, as much as in you lies, to promote the 
welfare of your brethren and the advancement 
of your Redeemer's kingdom! 

A. I will. 

Q. 6. Will you contribute of your earthly sub- 
stance, according to your ability, to the support 
of the gospel, church and poor, and "the various 
benevolent enterprises of the church? 

A. I will. 

Then the minister, addressing the church, will 
say: 

Brethren — You have heard the responses 
given to our inquiries. Have any of you any 
reason to allege why these persons should not 
be received into the full membership of the 
church? 

No objection being alleged, the minister shall 
say to the candidates : 

We welcome you to the communion of the 
Church of Grod; and in testimony of our Chris- 
tian affection and the cordiality with which we 



276 



Chin 'ch Government. 



receive you, I now extend to you the right hand 
of fellowship ; and may Glod grant that you may 
be a faithful and useful member of the Church 
militant till you are called to the fellowship of 
the Church triumphant, which is without fault 
before the presence of Grocl. 



CHAPTER XLIL 

CHURCH. 

Among the many subjects examined and sketched 
in this book, not one holds a more prominent 
place in the world to-day than the Church of 
God, or the Christian Church. 

The word or term " Church," means the 
" Lord's House." In Greek it is Kyrianxon. It 
means in ordinary language an organized body 
of believers in Christ. 

' ( The visible Church of Christ is a congrega- 
tion of faithful men, in which the pure word of 
God is preached, and the sacraments duly ad- 
ministered, according to Christ's ordinance, in 
all those things that of necessity are requisite to 
the same." 



Church. 



277 



JUklesia, an assembly, a Church, called of G-od, 
an institution set apart by Grod for the maintain- 
ance of His word among the children of men. 

That it is the Church of God, is borne out by 
this statement: " Dearly beloved, you have 
come hither seeking the privilege of union with 
the Church our Saviour purchased with His own 
blood." There can be no doubt as to the fact, 
that the Church is the House of God, when 
Christ purchased it with His own blood; "The 
body of which Christ is the head," and that it is 
the desire of the gospel to bring them together 
in one, all who are Christ's. 

The Christian Church may with propriety be 
called a continuation of the old Jewish Church. 
Christ did not organize another, nor arrange any 
special form of Church government. 

There was the Church in the wilderness. 
u This is He, that was in the Church in the wil- 
derness," etc. This Church, Christ was a mem- 
ber of himself. 

" Did Christ while on earth organize another 
Church? No. He recognized, and was a mem- 
ber of the organized Church that was in the 
wilderness. He read the Scriptures and taught 
in the synagogues on the Sabbath day," etc. 

THE HEAD OF THE CHUECH. 

The Christian world over acknowledges Christ 



•278 



Church Go vennment. 



to be the great head of the Church. It could 
not be otherwise. The founder of an institution 
like the Church, fashioned by the All-supreme 
hand, could not acknowledge any head save 
God. Christ is the chief head, u The Bishop of 
our souls. ' ' Of course the Church of Rome thinks 
the pope, the so-called successor of St. Peter, is 
the head, and that his decision is final on any 
subject; but the history of the Church, or early 
Christians' Church will refute this, for it 
mentions many different Churches. " The 
Churches of Judea, Galatia, Seven Churches in 
Asia," etc. Still they are one in faith, in Christ 
the Great Head. They were in a large sense 
controlled by the apostles; some smaller 
Churches might have acted as independent in the 
second century. Christ established the Christian 
Church, and should always be regarded as the 
Fountain Head. 

Again, the Church is founded on Christ. He 
is our all and all. When information is wanted, 
Christ is the first and last to be consulted; 
everything must be done in order. 

The second head, as we understand, are bish- 
ops, the chief ministers of Christ. The ministers 
are His messengers and are to declare His law 
as well as His gospel. Coll.: i, 18: " And He 
is the head of the body, the church, who is the 
beginning, the first-born from the dead," etc. 



Church. 



279 



I Cor.: xi, 3;. Ephes. : i, 22: 4 k Head over all. 77 
Why multiply words when all know the fore- 
gone to be true! 

Christ is our Prophet, Priest find King. Next 
to Christ come the bishops. 

AUTHORITY OF. 

A great deal has been said as to the form of 
church government by great men — each seems 
to look at the subject differently; we are sure 
the Church has some authority. "If he fails to 
hear the Church, let him be as a heathen and 
publican. 77 This is true; the Church has some 
authority and a right to dictate in matters. We 
mean, when we speak, the ministers, for the 
Church was left in their hands, and they had 
the control of it, assisted by the Spirit. We do 
not think men should dictate beyond the Spirit; 
upon all subjects the Church should consult the 
Holy Spirit, for the Savior says the Spirit "shall 
guide, teach, 77 etc. Now, if the Spirit is the 
guide and teacher, and that it is the office of the 
Spirit to convince, why not consult the Spirit on 
important matters in controlling the Church? 
In the Church it should act no further than the 
Spirit dictates, for God is the same to-day that 
He was yesterday, and will guide in all matters 
into which He is called. We don't think the 
Church should override revelation, for it is the 



280 



Church Government, 



only source that we can look to for aid. "The 
Church has a right to arrange such rules and 
regulations so as to better its condition. It 
should dictate— *that is, on points on which the 
church has received spiritual advice." 

BELIEF OF THE CHURCH OF ROME AS TO AUTHORITY 
AND POWER OF TEE CHURCH. 

It seems very plain that the Church of Rome 
has always, ever since its triumph in the third 
century, been of hostile nature. They think 
themselves the only church, and that the pope 
is the great head, the successor of St. Peter, and 
his commands cannot be revoked, for they are 
final. The Church of Rome thinks that the 
Church should not only be subject to the pope, 
but his decision should be final in state. Cardi- 
nals make the pope, and he is the great head of 
the church. Bishops are overlookers of dis- 
tricts. 

ERASTIAN VIEW OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT. 

Erastian, it seemed, desired and labored hard 
to show that science, with civil power, should 
control the people — i. <?., the Church should be 
governed by civil authority; he used, it is ap- 
parent, a good deal of common sense in matters 
generally. Erasmus also, it is said, was fond 
of literature : in all his efforts he could not com- 



Church. 



281 



pete with Luther. It is plain that Erasmus 
thought that the civil power could control mat- 
ters with great ease. 

CHIEF MINISTERS IN MATTERS OF AUTHORITY. 

As watchmen upon the wall to declare the 
eternal truth, ministers should be consulted upon 
matters of importance. " They are Grod's min- 
isters," preachers sent out to point men in the 
way of life. How important are the souls of 
those who are to be brought to the light by the 
influence of the ministers. His position is the 
highest among the lofty, for u they are the 
messengers of Grod." At the command of the 
minister the king may leave behind him the 
falling crown, the rich, treasures of gold, and 
the wicked their sins. None can claim such a 
high and divine commission as those who receive 
their commission from Grod. We might say, 
and we believe beyond contradiction, that min- 
isters are responsible to carry the light in all the 
world. What is better to the man who stands 
in the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity, 
who desires to flee the wrath to come, than to 
hear the glad news, 1 i I am the way, the truth 
and the life." Ministers are the source of 
authority in mattters of fact, and should be true 
and earnest in all their works. They should be 
men of high moral standing. All leaders are 



282 Church Government. 

held responsible for the failures of the institu- 
tions with which they are connected. There- 
fore, the ministers are held responsible for the 
workings of the Church, as they are the leaders. 



CHAPTER XLIII. 

GKEEK CHUKCH. 

u So called in contradistinction to the Latin 
church. Called the Eastern Church, in contra- 
distinction to the Western Church. It embraces 
that portion of professing Christians who con- 
form in their religious faith, usages and Church 
government to the views of Christianity intro- 
duced into the former Grreek empire, and ma- 
tured since the fifth century. It embraces the 
following countries in its communion: A part 
of Greece, the Grecian Isles, Wallachia, Mol- 
davia, Egypt, Abyssinia, Nubia, Libya, Arabia, 
Mesopotamia, Syria, Cilicia, and Palestine, 
which are under the jurisdiction of the patriarchs 
of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and 
Jerusalem. To these may be added the whole 
of the Russian empire in Europe, a large part of 



Greek Church. 



283 



Siberia in Asia, Astracan, Casan and Georgia. 
The professing Christians in all these countries 
do not agree in all things; but there is a suf- 
ficient harmony amongst them in respect to both 
faith and discipline that they hold mutual com- 
munion with each other, and in reality consti- 
tute but one church. The final separation 
between the Greek and Latin Churches took 
place about the middle of the Ninth century, 
and the breach thus made has grown wider ever 
since. 

The head of the Greek Church is the Patriarch 
of Constantinople, elected by the neighboring 
archbishops and metropolitans, and confirmed 
by the Sultan. He is the director of the Eastern 
Church, except that of Russia, of which the Czar 
is the head. The other high dignitaries are the 
Patriarchs of Jerusalem, Antioch and Alexan- 
dria, ranking in the order named. The other 
officers are metropolitans, archbishops, bishops, 
archimandrites (directors of one or more con- 
vents), abbots, archpriests, priests, deacons, 
under-deacons, chanters and lecturers. The 
bishops and all above that grade are chosen from 
amongst the Greek monks. The secular clergy 
are bound by no rules, and never attain a higher 
dignity than the priesthood. There are few 
nunneries attached to the Greek church, but 
religious houses for monks are numerous. All 



284 



Church Government. 



priests are obliged to labor at some regular avo- 
cation, and are required to lead austere lives. 
In Russia, however, this latter requirement is 
entirely ignored, and the clergy are anything but 
good examples to their people. 

The following are some of the chief tenets 
held by the Greek church: They disown the 
authority of the pope, and deny that the Church 
of Rome is the true Catholic Church. They do 
not baptize their children till they are three, four, 
five, six, ten, nay, sometimes eighteen years of 
age. Baptism is performed by trine immersion. 
They insist that the sacrament of the Lord's 
supper ought to be administered in both kinds, 
and they give the sacrament to children immedi- 
ately after baptism. They grant no indulgences, 
nor do they lay any claim to the character of in- 
fallibility, like the Church of Rome. They deny 
that there is any such place as purgatory ; not- 
withstanding, they pray for the dead, that Grod 
would have mercy on them at the general judg- 
ment. They practice the invocation of saints -, 
though, they say, they do not invoke them as 
deities, but as intercessors with God. They ex- 
clude confirmation, extreme unction and matri- 
mony, out of the seven sacraments. They deny 
auricular confession to be a Divine precept, and 
say it is only a positive injunction of the Church. 
They pay no religious homage to the eucharist. 



Greek Church . 



285 



They administer the communion in both kinds 
to the laity, both in sickness and in health, 
though they have never applied themselves to 
their confessors ; because they are persuaded that 
a lively faith is all which is requisite for the 
worthy receiving of the Lord's supper. They 
maintain that the Holy Grhost proceeds only from 
the Father, and not from the Son. They believe 
in predestination. They admit of no image in 
relief, or embossed work, but use paintings and 
sculptures in copper or silver. They approve of 
the marriage of priests, provided they enter into 
that state before their admission into holy 
orders. They condemn all fourth marriages. 
They observe a number of holy days, and keep 
four fasts in the year more solemn than the rest, 
of which the fast in Lent, before Easter, is the 
chief. They believe in the doctrine of consub- 
stantiation, or the union of the body of Christ 
with the sacramental bread. 



CHAPTER XLIV. 



CHUECH CREEDS. 

The Church creed is the rale and practice ex- 
tracted from the Bible, or founded upon the 
Bible for the benefit of the Church members; 
that it is a practice will be seen, when we under- 
stand that true members, those who love the 
Church, believe and are governed by it, and take 
it for their standard of faith. The creed carries 
with it the fundamental principles of the Chris- 
tian faith. By this creed — it matters not where 
the members may go — nevertheless, they preach 
and practice the same doctrines. To sum the 
whole up, it is this: It is the leading principles 
combined that make the Christian's guide. 

The first and main reason why the Church 
should have a creed is the same as that of the 
early Christians. Why they had or desired a 
creed was, as lovers of the church which lifted 
up fallen humanity, by preaching a crucified 
Redeemer to the world, that He might save 
them at the end. They wished to present the 
one claim to the people, and that was a Heaven 
above, etc. Knowing well and good that they 



Church Creeds. 



287 



could not do so at different places, and at dif- 
ferent times, without having the same end in 
view, they drew up the creed or rule of faith, 
that all might have, though separate, the same 
object in view. 

It may be asked: If the Church had no creed, 
could and would the gospel be as effectual in 
different places as with a creed? The reply is: 
No ; for while one preached a whole Heaven and 
a whole hell the other possibly would be preach- 
ing no Heaven nor hell at all. While one would 
be preaching that Christ rose from the dead, 
others would be saying it is doubtful. Thus it 
is plain that a very conglomerated state of things 
would exist, and like other institutions, would 
flourish and soon come to an end. This would 
bring faith and practice in conflict with faith 
and practice. U A house divided against itself 
cannot stand. 77 Hence, that all might have the 
same end in view, let them have the same code, 
or rule, of practice with them. No people or 
government can possibly succeed among enemies 
without a law — a rule, by which they are gov- 
erned. Hence, the same refers to the Church. 

CREED AUTHORITATIVE IN MATTERS OE CONDUCT, 

There would be no need of having a creed un- 
less it would be authoritative in matters of faith* 
The creed is drawn up by the ministers of con- 



288 



Church Creeds. 



ference of the Church, or in other words, by 
those who are supposed to be sound in the faith 
and doctrines of Christ. 

It is the decision of the Church, and the Church 
has a perfect right to protect its faith against 
any erroneous doctrine. A church that will not 
do this will cease to be the Church of Christ. In 
the apostles' lifetime, when anything contrary 
to the true principles of faith would arise in the 
Church, they were thereto be resorted to, and 
decided and refuted all erroneous doctrine; but 
since the church must attend to such matters, 
the ministers, who are watchmen and messengers 
of Christ, should be watchful. This will be seen 
very readily, when we notice the Act of the 
Council of Nice in the Fourth Century, in con- 
demning the Arian heresy, also the Council of 
Constantinople, held in the same century, to con- 
demn the errors of Macedonians, and asserted 
the personality and Divinity of the Holy Ghost. 
The Church is certainly responsible for the con- 
duct and safety of those who look upon it as an 
institution of safety, and is empowered to make 
such rules and regulations to be carried out as 
will better the interests of those who look to it ; 
hence, the creed of a church is authoritative in 
matters of conduct: 

First. Because it is empowered to do so. 

Second. Because it is in order to do so. 



Church Creeds. 



289 



Thus the Church makes the creed, which is a 
guide to conduct, and should see to it that it is 
obeyed. 

Should a church admit to membership one 
who does not submit to its creed, may now be 
asked? 

It would not only be contrary to the rule of 
the Church, but to its progress and success. 
First, should such be the fact, any, whether they 
believe or not, would be proper subjects for the 
Church; hence, a belief even in God would not 
be necessary, and it would take only a short 
time to hear the death-knell sound, and the army 
of the Living Grod be put to flight. 

Again, the Church should carefully examine 
persons who wish or desire to become members 
in regard to their faith, before it ever admits 
them. Should they object to the doctrines of 
the Church, why, then the Church, at once, if 
it sees wisely to do so, should not admit them. 
The success of an institution depends upon its 
members believing just the same. When u a 
house is divided against itself it cannot stand. 7 ' 
Satan's kingdom could not stand if it was divided 
against itself. 

There is nothing of more importance to a 
Church than to examine those who wish to unite 
with them, as to their faith, and have them sub- 
mit to their creed. 

Sg 19— C T 



290 



Church Creeds. 



The creed held sacred by the Church of Grod 
reads as follows : 

THE APOSTLES' CKEED. 

"I believe in Gk)d, the Father Almighty, 
Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, 
His only begotten Son, our Lord, and that he 
was conceived by the Holy Grhost, born of the 
Virgin Mary; that He suffered under Pontius 
Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried; that He 
rose again the third day ; that He ascended into 
heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of Grod, 
the Father Almighty; and from thence shall 
come again, at the end of the world, to judge 
the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy 
Grhost, the Church of Grod, the communion of 
saints, the remission of sins, the resurrection of 
the body, and everlasting life after death." 

CREED MORE THAN MERE HUMAN OPINION. 

If we understand what a creed is, and are able 
to say anything in regard to it at all, at once we 
would claim that creeds are something more than 
mere human opinions. They are enacted by 
ecclesiastical bodies. These assemblies are con- 
ducted by the Spirit in a large measure. This, 
as we have just stated on the other page, is the 
privilege and duty of the Church. If we say the 
Church has no authority at all to enact and 



Church Creeds. 



291 



formulate plans, etc., then our services and many 
other rites in the Church must be abolished. For 
instance, there is baptism — the direct or Script- 
ural form is not given, and at what time it must 
be performed. So with the Lord's supper — when 
it is to be administered is not stated in the Script- 
ures, nevertheless such is carried on in order. 
This is arranged by the ministers and those who 
must look after, or oversee, the Church. Hence, 
if they have nothing to do but formulate plans, 
this must be of a divine nature, and the work of 
a supreme hand. Admitting that this is true, 
we are led to say that creed is something more 
than mere human opinion. The arrangement is 
of divine nature, especially when dictated to by 
the Spirit, that meets and guides all matters per- 
taining to the Church, when requested in prayer 
and humiliation. % 

When the Holy Grhost, the Spirit, dictates, and 
men act accordingly, it is very strange to think 
the work can be wrong. If the creed was mere 
human opinion, at once we could see that it 
might be wrong ; but since it is not mere human 
opinion, and is the work of Grod, we dare not say 
that it is wrong — nor can it be wrong. 

Some creeds may be wrong, but those declared 
by the power of Grod cannot be, unless changed 
by men. In many instances this has already 
been done. Men have gone so far as to do away 



292 



Church Creeds 



with the true and pure principles, and have set 
up standards of their oath. 

LIMIT OF CREED. 

Faith in Christ is the end of creed. There 
should not be a multiplicity of creeds; there 
should be carefulness and Christian judgment 
used in the forming of the creed. A man may 
have faith in Christ, and at the same time teach 
something else, which would soon uproot his 
faith and bring all of his work to open shame. 
The conduct of an individual should be looked 
after as much as his faith. "Would it be right 
to keep a person in Church who believes Christ, 
and knows and cares nothing for Christ's laws? 
No. We must preach Christ in all of His 
offices; must declare His laws as well as His 
gospel. Therefore, as the Church must look 
after more than one's belief or faith in Christ, it 
is highly important that the creed be so arranged 
as to take in the whole and look after the gen- 
eral interest of men religiously. 

That there must be authority for a rule is a 
fact. It may be proper for us at the outset to 
mention the authority of our faith and practice. 
Theologically speaking, our authority is the 
sacred Scriptures. They are authority of our 
faith: that is, from them we get the real truth, 
that which ought to be done and should be done 



Church Creeds. 



293 



in matters of faith. They should be the foun- 
dation upon which all Christian creeds and prac- 
tice build. Whether this is true or not, suffice 
it to say, we have confidence in ours as such. 
We might say, in addition, that the faith we 
hold should be embodied in our Church creed, 
which is extracted from the Bible. To this we 
might add that our faith and practice should 
have for its foundation our creed, set up by the 
Church, which is authorized to do so. That the 
Church has the right or power to set up or form 
a creed for the government of its members, is 
very plain and cannot be contradicted, when we 
understand that Christians, that is, early Chris- 
tians, did such; and for violating such, the 
Council of Nice deposed Arian heresies. All of 
the above is simply this, that the Scriptures are 
first ; the Church with her creed comes next, in 
order that her doctrine might be protected. 



IXDEX. 



A 

PAGE. 

Abrahamic Covenant 243 

Adam Representative 152 

Address to Applicants 274 

Adoption, Argument of 226 

All Men Free to Accept the Conditions 130 

•Apostacy. 234 

Apostle's Creed, Etc 290 

Arian Idea of Person of Christ 85 

Arian's Opinion of the Trinity 114 

Arminian Doctrine of Predestination 135 

Arminian View of Predestination 136 

Arminian View of the Fall of Man 147 

Arminian View of Justification 223 

Archbishop of Canterbury 264 

Attitude During Prayer 199 

Authority of Church 279 

Authority and Power of the Church of Rome . . . = 280 

B 

Baptism, Proper Mode of 210 

Benevolence of God 80 

Belief of the Church of Rome as to Authority and Power, 255 

Bishop of Durham 265 

By Whom was the Attonement Made? 157 

c 

Oalvinistic Doctrine of Predestination . , 137 

Calvin, View of 132 

Calvin, View of Justification 223 



296 Index. 

Catalogue of Cyril of Jerusalem 53 

Celsus 54 

Ceremonial Law 245 

Change of Sabbath 180 

Christian Morality, Etc 245 

Christian Morality 252 

Christology 84 

Christian Ethics 235 

Church " 276 

Church of God, Meaning of. 276 

Clark A 25 

Claims New Testament Makes on Divine Revelation. . . 240 

Clement 52 

Council of Laodicea 53* 

Conversion 217 

Complete Holiness Possible in this Life 231 

Complete Triumph of the Righteous 172 

Correspondence with Jewish Passover 205 

Covenants, Works, Etc 241 

Congregationalist Faith 267 

Consubstantiation 207 

Creation 36 

Creeds in Matters of Conduct 287 

D 

Death Fixes Man's Destiny 171 

Depravity of Man 153 

Degrees of Inspiration 43 

Divine Authority of Scriptures 42 

Divinity of the Spirit 105 

E 

Existence of God 27 

Evidence of the Mercy of God 78 

Effect of Prayer 197 

Erastian View of Church Government 280 

Eternal Life 164 

Episcopal Government, Doctrine of 262 



Index. 297 
F 

Foreordination • 134 

Free Will and Argument For 139 

Fall of Man 145 

Forms of Church Government 254 

Gr 

Gregory Nazuanzen 53 

Goodness of God 74 

Good Works 248 

Grades in Sin 251 

Greek Church 282 

H 

Holiness of God 71 

Heaven 173 

Heaven, Where It Is 174 

Hell, Where It Is 187 

Harmony of Free Will with Foreordination 143 

Head of the Church 277 

I 

Ignatius 52 

Irenseas 52 

Immutability 71 

Illustration of the Trinity 114 

Imputation 148 

Immorality 167 

Infant Baptism 212 

Independent of God 144 

J 

Justin Martyr 52 

Judgment ! 170 

Justification 222 

Jerome 53 

Justice 81 



298 Index. 

K 

Kingdom of Christ 125 

Kingdom of God Differs From the Kingdom of Christ . 126 

L 

Limit of Creed, Scripture More Authoritative, Rules of 

Faith and Practice 292 

Limit to Human Freedom 143 

M 

Miracles, in All Ages 144 

Mortal and Venial Sins 250 

Ministers in Matters of Authority 281 

Methodist Views of Church Government 271 

Moral Law 246 

N 

New Testament, Genuine 51 



Omniscience 65 

Omnipotence 67 

Omnipresence of God 69 

Orthodox Idea of Christ 86 

Origin 53 

P 

Prophecies of Christ Coming, and Fulfilment 47 

Philostrus 53 

Personality of Holy Spirit 101 

Polycarp 52 

Pneumatology 97 

Predestination 132 

Purgatory of Roman Catholics 188, 256 

Prayer 194 

Power in Prayer 196 

Peculiar Benefits Derived by Taking the Lord's Supper, 209 
Prestayterianism 258 



Index. 299 
E 

Revelation of God in the Scriptures 33 

Reward and Punishment 190 

Resurrection, Argument for 161 

Regeneration 228 

Relation of Justification to Sanctification 231 

Religion of Christ 128 

Reception of Applicant 274 

Relation of Adam to His Posterity. 152 

Roman Catholic Church , 254 

s 

Spirituality of God 63 

Soterology 157 

Sanctification 230 

Sabbath Institution, and Observance of 176 

Supererogation 249 

Sacraments, Number 201 

Saving Ordinance 215 

T 

Theology . . , 62 

Trinity Ill 

Trinity, Three Persons in 112 

The Impotent 168 

The Lord's Supper 204 

The Power that Justifies 224 

Those Who Have the Right to Take 206 

True Prayer 195 

Transferring of Works 251 

Truth of God 172 

u 

Union of Natures 86 



300 Index. 

W 

Will All Be Saved? 

Where Hell Is 



FINIS. 



L6Fe"3Q 



